Dog Days
by Nature9000
Summary: When a magical device goes wrong, Freddie must try and figure a way back to normal. Along the way, he must rediscover himself and question all that he knew about those around him.
1. Transformation

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

**A/N: My older fans will remember this story as one I started a little over 2 years ago, but never finished because I met someone who basically kept me from writing. Anyway, I've undusted this and brought it back, I will finish it of course, as I strive to finish everything. I just hope it'll be read this time around, lol. It seems like due to this last year and a half, I've lost all my readers. Gotta rebuild my fanbase here, haha. Enjoy!**

Chapter 1 (Amato and Snowflake)

"Why won't he love me?" Shannon asked as she lay on her bed and stared at the ground. She was doing everything in her power to make Freddie fall in love with him, as long as those things were humane of course. Not once did he acknowledge her, he didn't even seem attracted to her. "Why can't I ever be happy!"

"Shannon, be quiet in there!" Her older brother exclaimed. "I'm trying to do some homework!" She rolled her eyes and sighed as he turned on a stereo and maxed the volume. She stood up and walked to the window of her house, she saw Freddie walking down the street with a smoothie cup in his hand. He had one hand in his pocket and a mouth on the straw, his eyes were focused straight ahead and his thoughts seemed to be on something important. She smiled and quickly fixed her hair, she had to look as attractive as possible. She opened the window and shouted out.

"Freddie!" Freddie stopped walking and continued staring ahead, he shifted his eyes to the side and turned toward her house. He lifted his head up and sipped some more of his smoothie, wondering why Shannon was talking to him again. "Freddie, I love you! I want to marry you and have your children!" His eyes widened and then grew dull as he turned around and started walking away. He shouted at her and said it was never going to happen. "You'll see! In ten years, I'm going to be your wife!" He stopped for a moment and slowly shook his head.

Shannon frowned and moved back into her room, she closed the door and let out a dejected sigh. As she turned around, she saw her older brother standing behind her, his arms were crossed and a smirk graced his face. She yelped and jumped back, not expecting to see him. "Aw baby sister is in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way for her," he said while making a clicking noise with his tongue. "That's too bad. I feel so sorry for you."

"Shut up!" She was on the verge of tears and hated the nerve of her brother, making fun of her like that.

"Here, let me offer you some advice." Shannon raised her eyebrow and her brother slowly sat on the bed. "If he isn't attracted to you in any way, then he's never going to like you. I suggest building up his attraction, but there is no way that will ever happen since he's already decided that he doesn't like you." Shannon frowned and narrowed her eyes, this was not helpful advice. "There is a little store down the street, though…I think it is some sort of magic shop, they should have something that will work."

"You mean it? I'll look right away!"

"Wait!" She was already rushing out of the room, so she didn't really hear what her brother wanted. She rushed down the stairs and out the doors. "I forgot to tell her about the repercussions." She hurried down the street and continued running until she found the magic shop her brother spoke of. She smiled and slowly entered the shop, seeing what seemed like thousands of items spread all over the room. She silently stepped next to a door and looked in. There was a woman with her back turned toward the door, she had long grey hair and a purple bandana on her head.

"It is impolite to linger in doorways," The woman said in a quiet voice. Shannon's eyes grew wide and she looked around. "Yes, I see you there." The lady placed her hands behind her back and turned around, staring at Shannon with a small smile. "I am Madam Fontessa, what is it you seek?" Shannon started to open her mouth, but Madam Fontessa held up her hand. "Shh, be quiet my dear, let your soul do the speaking for you."

Shannon raised her eyebrow as Madam Fontessa walked toward her and peered into her eyes. "Ah, I see, I see! You are dealing with troubles of the heart. A boy came to me once with the same troubles, but he learned the trouble was his heart was not attracted to the one his mind thought it was. Therefore, my magic caused him to be thrown into a great amount of confusion and he will battle this confusion until his mind becomes aware of the desires of his heart." Shannon didn't really care about what the lady was telling her, so Fontessa quickly silenced.

"Let me get right down to business, dearie. But I should warn you, you should take heed of my warning. I shall not give you what I gave the boy, for it will not work on you." Madam Fontessa walked over to a shelf and picked up what appeared to be a small crystal orb. "If you give this to the one that your heart seeks, then if it is right, he shall fall in love with you. Be warned, however-" Shannon squealed and took the orb, she wasn't thinking about anything but Freddie liking her. She rushed out of the shop and Madam Fontessa let out a small sigh. "The young must learn to listen…Hmm."

Shannon pulled out her cell phone and dialed Freddie's number, she waited until he answered. "What?" His voice seemed slightly dull and bored. She squealed and heard him shout out in pain. "Damn it woman, what is your problem? Stop calling me." She then asked where he was and he let out a sigh. "Yeah, because I really need a stalker like Carly…whatever, don't bother me…" He hung up the phone and Shannon let out a sigh. She knew he was going to do iCarly soon, so she would go to Carly's place.

Madam Fontessa followed behind, making sure she was cloaked well. "Poor girl doesn't realize what this orb does. If given to the wrong person, the recipient will experience changes that they never imagined. The giver will experience a similar fate, but will revert back when her mind and heart are one. The recipient must find another way." She sighed and followed Shannon into Bushwell. Shannon made her way to Freddie's apartment and knocked on his door. He opened and frowned when he spotted Shannon.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to have this!" Shannon said as she placed the orb into his hands. Freddie looked at the orb and frowned. Madame Fontessa stared at Freddie with wide eyes and recollection, she had met him prior.

"Oh the poor, poor boy," Fontessa said while shaking her head. "He must suffer yet again." Freddie sighed and rolled his eyes. "The only way for him to turn back, I'm afraid, is to clear his mind of confusion and help the one he loves most of all."

"Look, it just isn't going to happen," Freddie said while narrowing his eyes. He didn't want to sound mean, but he really didn't know how else to tell Shannon that he just didn't like her. In fact, he wasn't sure who he liked anymore. "I have a webshow to do."

Freddie brushed past Shannon, leaving her staring ahead with wide eyes and a single tear running down her face. He opened the door and entered, hearing her scream. He rolled his eyes as Carly and Sam looked over at the door with confusion. What he didn't know was Shannon just saw white, curly fur sprouting from her arm. Carly looked at the orb in Freddie's hand and raised her eyebrow, it was glowing a bright blue color.

"Hey Freddie, what's that?" Carly asked while pointing toward the object. He looked at it and shrugged.

"It's just some stupid trinket that Shannon gave me."

"Ugh, why can't she stop annoying you?" Sam asked while taking a sip of her drink. "When will she realize that you will never love her? Yet, you'll never realize one important thing, either." Freddie raised his eyebrow and felt his stomach start to churn. "Carly will never love you…" Sam wished that Freddie would like her, but she figured it would never happen. He didn't know her, he only knew the rough side of her, the side that kept everything she knew hidden away. Carly rolled her eyes and smiled at Sam.

"Sam, be nice." She stood up from the stool she was sitting on and raised her eyebrow, she heard a noise coming from somewhere, but didn't know where. "Hey, do you guys hear that? It's kind of a yipping sound…" Sam shrugged and Freddie looked toward the door, he opened it and a small poodle ran into the room. "Oh my god, it's a dog!" Carly froze up and Sam laughed as she scooped the poodle up.

"Aw, she's so cute!" Freddie blinked and raised his eyebrow as Sam gave playful air kisses to the puppy. "Who's the cute little puppy? That's right! It's you!" She stopped for a minute and instantly set the puppy on the ground, dusting her clothes off. "I mean, ew, it's a dog…" She chuckled nervously and Freddie smiled at her.

"I didn't know you liked dogs so much, Sam," Freddie said as he scooped the poodle up. He looked into the poodle's eyes and then instantly set it on the couch. "Weird…Let's go upstairs and do iCarly. Since Carly doesn't seem to like dogs, let's leave the dog down here. Maybe we can leave the thing here too."

"Oh shut up, dork." Freddie shrugged as he walked upstairs, Carly soon followed. Sam stared at the ground and sniffed once. "Stupid idiot, I hate this…" The poodle looked over at Sam and moved to her, whimpering slightly and licking her leg. Sam chuckled happily and bent over to pet the poodle. "You're such a sweet looking puppy. Too bad Carly is afraid of dogs, you'll have to stay down here." The poodle growled at the mention of Carly's name and Sam merely smiled. "Aw, don't do that. Carly's the nicest girl ever. All the boys love her…Anyway, I'll see you after the webshow." The poodle watched as Sam walked upstairs, she curled into a ball and closed her eyes.

-NEW SCENE-

After the webshow, Freddie clapped and smiled at the girls. "Great job, girls!" He said as he moved his hand to the laptop. He looked down and froze when he saw black and white colored fur appearing onto his hand. _"What the hell…"_ The girls hurried over to Freddie and he shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hey girls, I have to go home for a bit, I'll see you later!"

"Um, okay sure," Carly replied. Freddie nodded and quickly rushed out of the studio and down the stairs. The poodle lifted her head and Freddie stopped running when he saw his arms growing black and white colored fur.

"What the hell is going on? I'm changing!" The door opened and Madame Fontessa stepped in, Freddie looked at her with wide eyes. "You! What's happening? What did I do this time? I thought it was only enormous confusion, not fur coming from my body!" Madame Fontessa pointed to the orb and Freddie glanced over to see it glowing. "What is that thing anyway!"

"You are not at fault," Madame Fontessa said in a cautious voice. Freddie raised his eyebrow and soon fell to the floor. He screamed out as his arms and legs grew thinner. "Just close your eyes and relax." He nodded and closed his eyes, after a brief moment, he opened himself and started to speak, only to find his words coming out in a bark. He looked around and yelped, he was a Shiba Inu. "Okay, yeah, that's definitely not good. Well, at least you're a dog, and a cute one at that."

"I'm a dog!" He glared over at the orb and growled as he ran toward it.

"I wouldn't do that…" He leapt up and swatted the orb, causing it to fall on the ground and shatter. "Smashing the orb really doesn't do a thing, you're stuck in that form for a while." Freddie shook his head and growled, he then lifted it and sniffed in the air. He could catch Shannon's scent, she was somewhere, and she was the one that handed him the orb. He looked over at the poodle, he growled and the poodle stepped back.

"Freddie, it's just me, Shannon!" The poodle exclaimed.

"I know that," Freddie said while stepping forward. "I see you're responsible for my white fur and the black spot on my back!"

"No! I didn't know this would happen! I was just trying to get you to like me, and Madam Fontessa said the orb would work!" Freddie barked and lunged toward Shannon, she yelped as he held her toward the ground. "I'm sorry, but why won't you ever like me! Even the orb didn't work!"

"The orb will work when given to the one that matches with your heart's desire," Madam Fontessa said while crossing her arms. Freddie and Shannon looked over and the lady continued. "The one who is attracted to you, the one that your heart truly wishes to be with as well, that is when the orb will work. If given to the wrong person, then the changes will come."

"Oh great," Freddie muttered as he stepped off of Shannon. "No wonder I'm a dog…" Freddie sat down ad sighed. "I will have to get used to this." He looked over at Shannon as she sulked lightly. "Shannon, I don't know how to tell you this without shattering your heart, but I'm the wrong person for you."

"Gee, you don't say," Shannon remarked. Freddie rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Madam Fontessa spoke some more, but neither dog heard her. "Boy, you must learn to not be so selfish. When your heart learns not to be selfish and you do good things for others without caring about yourself, then you shall change back. Do these things for people you don't like, people you have just met, and finally the one you love most of all." Freddie and Shannon looked over at her, not sure what she had said to them. Shannon shrugged and looked back to Freddie, she frowned and looked to the ground.

"So, why don't you like me anyway?" He sighed and closed his eyes as he thought of a response for her.

"When I look at you, I see me. I see someone who stalked Carly and never even listened to her whenever she said no. I would never be able to like you without calling myself a stalker. It's like they say, no person will ever love their stalker. We could try being friends, but I don't think it's going to be easy."

"I-I understand." Shannon lay on the ground and rested her head on her feet. "So what do we do now?" Sam and Carly then walked down the stairs and Carly froze when she saw the dogs. Sam's eyes danced with delight and she ran toward them.

"Aw look, it's a Shiba Inu!" Sam squealed as she wrapped her arms around Freddie's neck. He raised his eyebrow as Sam kissed him and squealed once more. Madam Fontessa rubbed her chin and smirked when she looked at Sam. Sam looked up and smiled at the lady. "Are these your puppies?" Freddie and Shannon quickly jumped up and hid behind Sam's legs as she stood up. She looked down and giggled lightly. "They're so cute, but they look scared…"

"Whatever you do, don't stop begging Sam," Freddie said in a quick voice. Neither he nor Shannon wanted to go with Madam Fontessa. They quickly stood up and pawed Sam, causing her to laugh.

"I'd say they want to go with you," Madam Fontessa said while crossing her arms. She couldn't understand the dogs when they talked, no human could, but she could tell they wanted to go with Sam from how they were acting. "They _were_ my dogs, but I can no longer care for animals. They seem to like you, so I suggest you take them. Will your family let you?"

"Of course they will!" Sam exclaimed as she knelt down. Shannon rolled over and Sam rubbed her belly.

"Ooh, this feels good!" Shannon said in a quick voice. "You should try it, Freddie!" Freddie rolled his eyes and Madam Fontessa smiled.

"Then take good care of them."

"Oh, I will," Sam said with a smile. Fontessa left the room and Sam looked toward the two dogs, wondering what to call them. "Let's see, I think I'll call the poodle Snowflake. Do you like that one?" Shannon yipped once and Sam grinned. "I thought you would."

"Snowflake's a great name," Shannon said as she rolled over and looked toward the door. Freddie snickered and Sam looked toward him, she gazed into his eyes and her breath stopped for a moment. Sam blinked and quickly shook her head.

"Amato, that's what your name will be." Freddie tilted his head and Shannon looked over at him.

"Amato is a name for a male dog, it means love!"

"I would say I need Amato most of all," Sam whispered while giving a slight chuckle. "That sounds so corny…" She rubbed Freddie's head and smiled. "Well, the guys will never love me, they'll just love Carly…so I guess you'll have to do." Freddie blinked and Shannon glanced over, he didn't realize Sam was concerned that much. But then, it did make sense.

"Sam, I don't want to sound mean or anything…but could you get the dogs out of here, please?" Carly asked while shaking slightly. "Dogs kind of scare me." Sure, they dressed the wiener dog up, but that was long before Carly ever became scared of dogs. She once had a bad experience with dogs and it led to her becoming afraid of them, so now she didn't like to be around them at all.

"Yeah, I'll go ahead and take them home." Sam started scratching behind Freddie's ear, causing him to sigh with contentment. "Hopefully they'll stay with me, they don't have a leash." Freddie looked over at Shannon and smirked.

"Hey, I'll _try_ not to run you into the road," Freddie remarked. Shannon rolled her eyes and looked over at him.

"I'm thinking that your breed is the energetic ones, meaning you're more likely to chase after a car and get yourself killed," She replied with a subtle smirk. Freddie blinked and Sam slowly stood up.

"Come on Amato, Snowflake, let's get going," Sam said as she walked toward the door. The two dogs quickly followed after her.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have 14 written already, so that gives me good time to try and remember everything I can about this story and remember the direction I'm going in. This one in particular has been bugging me to finish, so I shall. I have others that I must resurrect, they will come, but I don't want to do too many stories at one time. My fans will remember them, such as BEFORE SHE CAME, and a few other old timers that sadly had to go. Nothing's holding me back this time. I AM BACK IN FULL GEAR.


	2. Sam's Home

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Yes, the dogs will do things that don't seem like what dogs do: Smirking, laughing, etc…I can't really write the story without doing these things.

**A/N: There are things in this story that will remain exactly the same as when I origionally wrote this, such as Sam's mother's name. It will remain Sarah. This story was written before we knew her name to be Pam, and for all intents and purposes, I intend to keep it this way. The timeline also takes place not long after the Jonah episode, you will see what I mean. Older readers will also know why that is. **

* * *

Chapter 2 (Sam's Home)

Sam exited the elevator and stepped into the lobby with Freddie and Shannon on either side of her. Lewbert was at the front register and spotted the animals, he quickly stood up and screeched, causing Sam to throw her hands to her ears. She hated how he screamed like that. "No dogs in the lobby, keep them in your room!" Lewbert shouted while slamming his hand on the desk.

"I'm _leaving_ with them!" Sam protested angrily. Lewbert walked to Sam and shouted in her ear again, causing her to whimper. "Quit that!" Shannon whined and glanced over at Freddie, the shouts were a bit much for her ears. The two had yet to be aware of how sounds effected them, and now they knew. Freddie glared angrily at Lewbert, something inside of him made him want to protect Sam. He was not sure what it was, but he had to carry out his urge. He quickly lunged for Lewbert, biting into his pants and tugging them.

"Freddie!" Shannon proclaimed with worry, she didn't want Sam to think they were vicious and then have to put them away. Though, with how they perceived Sam, she might like them being vicious. Sam gasped in shock as Shannon decided to grab Lewbert's other pant leg. He screamed out as he struggled to get away from the dogs, fearing for himself.

"Get them off me!"

"Amato, Snowflake, let's go home!" Sam shouted as stepped back to the door. Shannon stopped what she was doing and shrugged as she looked up at Lewbert. She decided to leave one final insult to injury as she crouched over his shoe for a moment and took off.

"I leave a gift for you on your shoe!" Shannon exclaimed wildly. She was actually having the time of her life. Freddie raised his eyebrow and laughed as Shannon barked at him. "First one to Sam sleeps on the bed tonight!" Freddie then backed up and dashed past Shannon, taking pride in the fact that his legs were longer than hers. "Hey, not fair!" Sam looked over at Lewbert and her eyes widened in shock as he looked down at what she was looking at. On his shoe was a steaming pile of dog crap. He screamed and Sam quickly rushed out the door with the dogs, she didn't want to stick around for him to become any further enraged.

"You honestly crapped on his foot?" Freddie asked with a snort.

"I couldn't think of anything else." She stepped next to him and he quickly growled at her, still uncomfortable with her being anywhere near him. "Yikes!" She jumped back and frowned, knowing that he was still pissed off at her. "Sorry."

"Hey, it's okay, right now you look more like lunch to me than anything else though." She paled as he smirked, he would love to have her as a meal with how upset he was with her. She slowly shook her head and looked up at Sam, the girl seemed to be ignoring what had taken place.

"What do you think her family is like?" She knew how Sam always acted and how she talked about her family, so it was a bit worrisome. Freddie had the same worry, he had thought about that briefly when Sam decided to take them in. Though, he was surprised by her love for animals.

"Well I for one have never seen her swoon over animals so much as she has today. Other than that, I have a feeling most of her family is poor and in jail. She never made them out to be very caring at all." Shannon bowed her head and swallowed hard, she hadn't hoped for that. "In fact, I'm pretty sure…" They followed Sam into a very upscale neighborhood and Freddie's eyebrows lifted as his walking slowed. Shannon stopped and looked back at him curiously. "This doesn't look like the place she ought to be living." Sam noticed the dogs had stopped and glanced back at them with a smile.

"Amato, Snowflake, it's okay, there is nothing to be afraid of." She pointed to a brown, two story house and looked over at it. "That's where my Uncle lives, I don't want to make you two walk all the way to my home."

"Very odd," Shannon whispered as they continued to follow Sam to the house. They waited as Sam knocked on the door. "Didn't you say her family was _poor_?" Freddie nodded, still in a state of complete shock. Soon an older man with a scruffy, but neatly trimmed beard stepped out, his eyes twinkling when he spotted Sam.

"Uncle George!" Sam quickly hugged him and he returned the hug.

"There's the beautiful Puckett Peach," George said cheerfully as he hugged his niece tightly and rubbed her head. Freddie coughed and Shannon stared on dumbfounded. "How have you been today?"

"Oh, not bad at all…this lady came by the apartment today and dropped these two off." George looked down at the dogs and smiled as he knelt beside them and rubbed their heads.

"Aw, who do they belong to?"

"Me actually, the lady gave them to me because she couldn't care for them." George nodded and slowly stood up. "I named the Shiba Inu Amato, and the poodle is Snowflake. Normally I'd walk since the farm really isn't that far from here, but I'm not sure if the puppies are old enough to walk that far." Freddie's ears perked curiously, had he just heard the word _farm_ come out of Sam's mouth? Since when did she live on a farm!

"That's sweet, always thinking of animals, just like your mother."

"What am I missing?" Freddie asked flatly as he stared at Shannon with narrow eyes. Shannon shrugged and jumped up onto Sam's leg, patting her with her paws. Sam looked down and smiled, she was thinking maybe the dogs were getting tired of waiting. She knelt down and ran her hand down Shannon's back.

"Don't worry Snowflake, we'll be going soon. My mom and dad are animal rescuers. You can stay with us as long as you like until we find you a good home." Freddie raised his eyebrow as Shannon glanced back at him. Animal rescuers were people who took in animals that either people brought in or were abandoned. They were taken care of until they were ready to have a home found for them. Sam slowly stood up and looked at her uncle, she personally adored these two animals. "Actually, I was hoping to be able to keep them since they're just so cute, but I'll have to see what mom and dad say about them. So, do you think you can give us a ride?"

"Sure, I was just finishing up with my stocks, so I have time." George walked over to his garage and lifted up the door, revealing four cars inside. Freddie's eye twitched as George entered the white Saturn. Sam opened the back doors and led the dogs in, then made her way to the front passenger seat. "By the way, I saw iCarly tonight." Sam looked over and nodded as he started the car and drove out, pressing the button to close the garage door. "You were absolutely wonderful!"

"You thought I did well?"

"Absolutely!" Sam shrugged and stared out the window with a vacant expression. She didn't really have the utmost confidence in herself. Everybody loved Carly, that was the way things went. Nobody ever cared for the background, nobody ever cared for the supporting actor. Not even Freddie.

"I didn't think so, and Freddie probably didn't either, knowing him." George frowned and Shannon glared at Freddie. Freddie looked over at her with a raised eyebrow and laid his head onto his paws. "Once again, all eyes were on Carly. There's never a 'good job Sam' rather than Carly. He never notices me, never appreciates me, and always seems to throw his attention onto her. Doesn't he get that she doesn't love him and never will? She told me that time after time! Sure, I act mean and all, but I don't want to see him hurt or anything…" George looked over at Sam and rubbed her shoulder before returning his eyes to the road. Shannon continued glaring at Freddie, she could see the hurt in Sam's eyes. She knew what Sam was thinking, as she had been there herself, and it was not involving Freddie.

"Let me tell you a little something about boys and men," George said as he took a right turn. Our kind, we are idiots." Shannon laughed and Freddie quickly growled, silencing her. He already felt badly enough, he didn't need someone like Shannon laughing at this. "We see a couple pretty girls and typically goes after the one who pays us more attention." Sam started to protest, but George continued on. "Not any attention, mind you, but _good_ attention." Sam groaned, seeing exactly where this was leading, and she quickly crossed her arms and glanced away from her uncle. "Now if you just told them about your family's real life and not some phony baloney tale about how _everyone_ in your family is poor and how your mother is neglectful. Or even how everyone is in jail…don't you see how much that affects everyone?" Freddie and Shannon once more were baffled, and continued to listen to the conversation out of curiosity.

"Yeah, but Uncle George, you're the only one in the family with a lot of money, anyway."

"So? That doesn't mean your family is poor. Your mother's a doctor, she makes enough money to live on. Your father is a businessman and into the farming career, he also makes enough money to live on! You live on a _farm_, you have to be making money."

"I know, please don't nag me…" George sighed and slowly nodded his head, he knew Sam's reasoning for why she did what she did, but it didn't mean he had to agree to it. "If they saw how I was, if they saw how I lived, they'd all act differently. I've seen people take advantage of people like me, having a doctor for a parent. It'd be almost like I _was_ rich, they'd try and do whatever to they wanted and try and get me to do everything because I have money. If I'm poor and they like me, then they like me for who I am, not because of money." She wasn't sure whether she was more afraid of that, or afraid of people making fun of her because she lived on a farm. She loved it, but she didn't want people to start making fun of her life.

"You know, if you want them to like you for who you are, show them who you really are. The friends you have seem like genuine ones to me, so why wouldn't they like you for you? As far as personality goes, you could be overdoing it already. I mean to us, you're our sweetest little peach. At least you'll always be my favorite peach." Sam giggled as Freddie caught a hack in his throat, he honestly didn't want to hear that. "Show your best friends the wonderful side of you, the side they've never seen, and I'd be willing to bet they would love it!" Sam shrugged and glanced back out the window, unsure of how she really felt on the subject. "Also, if you're worried about them being upset regarding you lying to them in the first place, they'll get over it if they are your real friends."

"Maybe…Thanks, Uncle George." Freddie grumbled and Shannon looked over at him, she was thankful that she wasn't entirely in his situation right now. She hadn't known Sam well enough to see her in either way, so this didn't come to her as great of a shock as it did to him.

"She's not all you thought she was, huh?" Shannon asked in a quiet voice. Freddie shifted his eyes over to her and narrowed them, causing her to let out a brisk sigh. "I mean you thought she was crude and mean, right?"

"What do you care?" He quipped with a small growl. Shannon winced inwardly, but did not falter from the conversation. "You don't know me either. Hell, none of us really know each other, it seems."

"True. Yet, there are some people we know all too well. You must know everything about Carly, am I right?" Freddie's eyes grew dull and he slowly glanced out the window, watching the buildings and hills fly past. Shannon moved forward to him and eyed him with concern, he always had that look on him lately. Ever since before she handed him that crystal thing. "Are you okay? I swear you've been so depressed…" He shrugged and a slight whimper escaped his throat, he actually hadn't been anticipating that. Sam quickly looked back and rubbed his head.

"Are you okay, Amato?" Sam asked with a concerned voice. She began scratching behind his ear and he closed his eyes and sighed contently, he didn't know how pleasurable that really was for a dog until now. "I hope you don't get carsick, but it'll be okay if you do. I'll take good care of you." Shannon smirked and narrowed her eyes teasingly.

"Aw, look who's getting his ear scratched by the 'Puckett Peach'."

"Shut up Shannon," Freddie countered. He moved his head up slightly as Sam moved back to the front. "Besides, I don't really want to talk about Carly. I'm in the process of getting over her, it sort of still hurts." He was also still confused about several things.

"I imagine it's going to hurt. It's about time you moved on from her. I know it's like you said, we will never be, but I still would like to see you happy at least." Freddie shrugged and looked back to Sam, still thinking deeply about her. Shannon looked over and smiled. "Maybe there's something between you and her, who knows?" Freddie scoffed slightly and shook his head. He didn't know Sam all that well, and still there was that huge cloud of confusion that Madame Fontessa said would be brought upon him. He didn't know if he'd ever love someone again. "Right now, I suppose it doesn't matter, we should just focus on how we're going to get back to being human again."

"I don't know, but people will be concerned, I can say that much." Shannon nodded her head and frowned, a lot of people would probably worry. They wouldn't be the first teenagers to disappear without question from the same high school within a year, either. "Carly will probably call Sam soon, seeing as how I live right next door to her and mom would probably tell her I never returned home."

"My brother will probably search high and low for me." She knew her older brother constantly brushed her away, but he loved her too, he was always trying to protect her from school bullies and so forth.

"I just wish the lady told us how to change back. Did you even listen to her when she told you the side effects?" Shannon blushed with embarrassment and looked away, she hadn't stopped to listen. She was too excited about the prospect of finally getting Freddie to like her. Now, she wasn't even sure why she did that. She was just too tired of feeling unnoticed.

"No, I was too excited and rushed out without thinking."

"Figures." Freddie scoffed and rested down on the seat again. "I'm glad you're a poodle, you're smaller and would make a great lunch for me. Though, I'm not quite sure how morons taste." Shannon rolled her eyes as the car came to a stop. The two quickly moved to the window and peered out at what looked like a very quaint farm with various animals running around. "I guess we may as well make ourselves at home here. Now I don't mean to sound cruel, but stay out of my way. I don't feel like being around you right now."

"It's okay, I understand. I am perfectly fine with that." Sam opened their door and the two leapt out, eager to see what Sam's home looked like. Freddie almost felt guilty for home invasion, considering Sam didn't know who he was.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, drop a review if you will


	3. The Doberman

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

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Chapter 3 (The Doberman)

The two watched as George drove off, then looked around at the farm. It seemed like a very beautiful place. There were all sorts of farm animals roaming about, so evidently their family must be a supplier as well. Although, there really wasn't anything saying that was the case here. Sam got to her front door and looked over at them, smiling and waving to them. "Come on puppies, time to come inside!" Freddie was the first to break off into a run, Shannon quickly ran and began huffing. It was a ways to the door.

"No fair, I have small legs!" Shannon protested. Freddie laughed as he made it to Sam's side first. He lifted his paws up and placed them on Sam's waist, panting with his tongue hanging out. Shannon raised her eyebrow and smirked as she stepped next to Freddie. "Are you _gawking?_ You _are_, and you're drooling." Freddie narrowed his eyes and quickly closed his mouth, looking over at Shannon.

"I'm a dog, we drool naturally." He wasn't sure, to be honest. Dogs either drooled when they were hungry and saw food, or when they needed to cool down. "I am a bit hungry though, and you still look like lunch to me." He growled and smirked as Shannon yelped and ran behind Sam's leg. Sam looked at Shannon, then to Freddie and smiled, slowly shaking her head.

"Aw Amato, be nice to Snowflake." She lightly tapped his nose and Shannon snickered as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. Sam opened the door fully and the two bolted into the house. They stopped and began sniffing, wincing as several scents wafted through their nostrils. They forgot dogs were able to pick up over two thousand smells.

"Yipe, there are a lot of other pets here," Shannon remarked. It was definitely fitting for an animal caretaker. Sam walked through the house and set her backpack down on the kitchen table.

"Mom, I'm home!" There was no answer. She frowned and noticed a note on the refrigerator door. She walked over to it and pulled it off, reading it. "Dear Sam, I had to take care of a patient. Please take care of the dogs and do your homework until I'm back." Sam chuckled nervously, if only it really was that easy. Sometimes she had so much fun with the animals that she neglected her homework. She would end up turning in a project late on a few occasions. That much was true about her. She wasn't really a failing student, however. She just didn't want to 'outshine' Carly, so she had a thing worked up with Mrs. Briggs in return for her staying after and helping to teach the lady how to take care of the bird she had. "I guess I'll go ahead and start feeding everyone, Jock's first."

"Jock? The name sounds tough." Freddie smirked at Shannon as Sam went to a cabinet and opened it up, revealing various animal foods, she really was stocked up.

"So Shannon," Freddie said with a devious tone of voice. Her ears perked up and she looked over at him questionably. "How would you like to go on a special solo mission that only a toy poodle can go on?" She tilted her head to the side as his devious grin grew wider. She had to know what he was up to. "Go explore the house and report back here, but try and insult every big dog you can find!" She narrowed her eyes and stared at him, she wasn't too happy about the thought of being eaten by any bigger dogs.

"Heh, you just want to be alone with her. That way, she'll give you all the doggie treats and I won't get any!" She blinked and Freddie's eyebrows lifted, they were surprised by what had just come out of her mouth. "Did I just say that?" Freddie laughed and smiled at her.

"Well you are a dog now, I guess things that seemed unappealing as a human are all the more tastier now." Too bad Sam probably wasn't going to be feeding them any junk food. His ears perked up when he heard the sound of a can opener, and just as suddenly as the sound came, the smell of dog food came to his nose. "Food! I must have the glorious food!" He began running in circles and jumped up, causing Sam to look over and laugh. Shannon merely sat on the floor and shook her head at the embarrassing act, at least he was more embarrassing than what she had said.

"Now Amato, this food isn't yours," Sam replied as she set the food on the ground. Freddie stepped back and whined with confusion. "Your food will be by later. This is made special for Jock, there is medicine in here that you won't like." Freddie sat down and bowed his head in defeat, at least he'd be getting fed soon. He was stunned by all these urges that he never once suspected animals had. Sam stood up straight and called out. "Jock, your food is ready! Here boy!"

Within mere seconds, a large Doberman came running into the room. Freddie raised his eyebrow and Shannon quickly jumped up in shock. Dobermans look much bigger as a dog than as a human. At least he wasn't too horribly giant, Freddie figured he might be about the same height if he wasn't a small puppy. He smirked and looked over at Shannon, seeing her shrug and move back to the floor, placing her head on her chin. Her thoughts really were on other matters. "Hey Shannon, try to take some of his food!" Shannon lifted her head up and glared at him.

"Shut it, Freddie!" Shannon exclaimed with annoyance. The Doberman looked over with raised eyebrows and slowly walked over to Freddie, sending fear running through him. He knew he didn't want to get into a fight with this big guy.

"Hey watch it buddy, I know how to…" He groaned and let out a small sigh. "Okay I can_ attempt_ a dogfight." Shannon snickered as Freddie glared at her. The Doberman soon began sniffing his butt, causing him to yell out in surprise. He was too frozen with fear to move, however. The dog lifted his head, a look of pure shock was etched over his face.

"Freddie? Dear god, why are _you_ a dog!" Shannon raised her eyebrow and Freddie looked at the Doberman with confusion.

"Huh? How do you know who I am…" Freddie sniffed the air and caught a vaguely familiar scent, it was Jonah. Jonah was somewhere in Sam's house. Odd, considering Jonah had gone missing a long time ago, so why was he here, unless he was the same Doberman standing in front of them. Which, with recent events, the aspect of him being a dog was _not _very shocking at all.

"By the way, sniffing one's butt is the preferred greeting of dogs. It's me, Jonah."

"Okay…why are _you_ here?" Sam looked over at the three dogs, she was busy preparing the food for the other animals. She often had to do Jock's first, since he needed his at the same time each day. She wanted to make sure the three wouldn't break into a fight, she didn't know how socialized Amato or Snowflake were with other animals, so she was about to find out. Jock got along well with the other animals really well when he first came here, so he wasn't a bad first for them to come into contact with.

"Well, some girl who liked me gave me this weird magic object that turned me into this." Freddie narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to Shannon, seeing how familiar that scenario was. She quickly jumped up defensively and began protesting.

"I didn't do it!" She cried out.

"I know that you nitwit, it's your fault that I'm a dog!" Freddie barked out. Shannon drooped down, feeling that same guilt that just wouldn't stop nagging her. Jonah raised his eyebrow as Freddie glanced back at him. "Believe me, I know everything there is to know about an obsessed girl who just doesn't get it."

"I got it," she sniped with a slight tone of scorn. "It took me a while, but I get it…" She looked away and sighed, really not wanting anymore involvement in this discussion.

"Believe me though, it reminds me of my constant pining for Carly, ignoring the fact that she would never want me. I just wish I would have been smarter…" He drooped and slowly walked from the kitchen, his feelings of guilt and sorrow began weighing heavily on his mind. Sam watched him with concern and looked over at Jonah.

"Jock, finish your meal. I'll be right back for you, Snowflake." Sam quickly hurried out of the room to see Freddie lying on the couch, looking forlorn at the ground. "Amato, are you sad?"

"If only you knew, Sam. If only you knew." Sam walked over to a bookshelf and started searching for the book she needed. She found one and pulled it out, it was about understanding a dog's basic emotions and feelings. She sat next to Freddie and started flipping through the pages. Freddie lifted his head curiously and looked at the book. "What are you looking for?"

"Let's see what I can find for you, Amato." She had noticed his listlessness ever since they left the apartment. He had to be depressed about something. Jonah and Shannon stepped into the doorway of the living room and watched with concern as Sam ran her finger down the table of contents. "Okay, depression in dogs. The signs…" She then flipped to the page and began reading. Then caught an idea as she started searching beneath the couch with her arm. "Where is that rope Isis was chewing on earlier…"

"Rope?" Sam smiled and pulled a dog rope from the couch, the animals always seemed to lose their toys under the furniture.

"Would you like to play, Amato?" She held the rope in front of him and started to rub him, trying to get him to become interested in playing. When it didn't work, she turned back to the book. "Depression in dogs can have similar effects as humans. Perhaps the dog has lost something…" She pursed her lips together in thought and looked over at Freddie. It dawned on her that perhaps he was sad over the loss of his recent owner. "I see, a lot of times when the owner disappears, it causes depression. That old lady…do you miss her?" Freddie raised his eyebrow as Sam continued reading the book, absorbing all the information she could. He was shocked at how studious she was.

"There's a lot of reason to be depressed," Jonah said as he looked down at Shannon. He could tell she was depressed about something too, but it didn't seem to be Freddie. He then thought of his food and licked his lips, causing Shannon to yelp and jump back. "Oh, sorry, I wasn't thinking of anything other than lunch." She narrowed her eyes and looked away, not wanting to be thought of as the next meal.

"Just because I look like food, does not mean I am lunch for you or any other animal," Shannon said quietly. Jonah chuckled and shrugged his shoulders while glancing back at Sam and Freddie.

"At times like these, it's best to shower the dog with a consistent dose of attention." He was quoting from the book, as Sam had read it numerous times with several other animals. "Cater to the physical and emotional needs of the dog, realizing that a dog is well-taken care of will bounce back from depression more quickly than a dog that is neglected."

"So does that mean Freddie gets most of the attention?" Shannon brought her eyelids down halfway and Jonah chuckled with a smirk. Shannon seemed jealous already.

"I don't know about that, Sam doesn't often give special attention to anyone. If she does, there's a pretty good reason for it. When I first came here, I was almost as listless as he was. Sam took really good care of me and I felt a lot better after a while. If anything, she'll do wonders for Freddie."

"I hope so, he's been really depressed. I think it's over that Carly girl." Jonah shrugged and leaned to the side a bit. Carly seemed to be the source of trouble for quite a number of trouble, including him. He still felt guilt over what had taken place so long ago, but he was moving on well from that. He was still afraid that nobody would forgive him, though. "Amato is a nice name, I'm guessing Sam chose it, which makes me wonder…"

"You think Sam likes Freddie?" She'd been pondering that question for a while, considering how Sam actually acted around him when he was human, and by what she had said to her uncle. Jonah chuckled and turned back into the kitchen to get some water. Shannon quickly trotted over to him and surveyed the kitchen. "How many animals are here anyway? I don't see any others."

"They're all out back most likely. Including me, there's at least eight dogs. You two make ten. There are four cats and five horses out back. That's not even counting all the farm animals they have." Jonah lowered his mouth into the water bowl and started lapping up the cool liquid. He lifted his head up and sighed contently. "The Pucketts make sure that every pet here, if they can't be adopted into a home, are never sent to a slaughterhouse. Sam basically takes care of all the animals without fail. Her parents are generally around to help, but today, they're off at work. I'm guessing when you gave Freddie that orb…"

"Yeah, and it turned me to a dog as well." Jonah frowned and nodded, wondering for a brief second whatever happened to the girl that got him. He was lucky that Sam had found him.

"Yeah, well I'm guessing you're a bit different from me and Freddie, but not by much. You just need to find your Corazon, the person who you really care about and is really meant for you." Shannon frowned and looked away, hiding the look in her eyes. She thought she had found him, but that had been so long ago. That man didn't even notice her, which made her understand completely how Sam felt. "Freddie and I could be with the one that is meant for us, but we won't change back until we've learned some lesson or changed our ways…or a number of things that needs to happen. Once we've matched our minds with our hearts and figured out our heart's desire, then I suppose we just wait…" He sighed and slowly closed his eyes, he thought he had learned his lesson. No, he knew he had, but he was still a dog. So he didn't know what was wrong.

"You wait? What on earth do you wait for?"

"I guess there is a certain amount of time before we can change back to normal. Maybe we have to do something else, like do good for others, I'm not sure. I've been a dog for at least eight months now, and I guess my mind is still not with my heart. I don't know really what it is I have to do."

"Eight months?" Shannon paled as Jonah nodded his head. She couldn't fathom waiting eight months. From what it sounded like, she might not have to wait, but Jonah and Freddie would. She couldn't understand that, it just didn't seem fair at all to her.

"Yeah, unless you have the original orb with you." Shannon frowned and Jonah slowly narrowed his eyes. "Let me guess, it broke?" He sighed as she nodded her head. "Same thing happened to me. I guess he'll just have to wait a while. Either that, or somehow find another similar orb." He looked into the living room and then gazed up at a clock, it looked to be time for Sam to get started with her evening farm chores. "It's time for Sam to take care of the other animals! You guys need to meet them, they are a good bunch. Sam's named almost every animal out there."

"Cool." Freddie jumped off the couch as Sam stood up and put the book back on the shelf. Jonah and Shannon walked over to them and Sam smiled at the trio.

"Aw, do you guys want to come help me out?" Sam asked as she bent over and petted each dog. "I think we need to see how well you get along with the other animals." The dogs all barked and followed Sam to her room. She shut the door, so they didn't enter in with her. Very soon, she came out with a white t-shirt and some torn blue jeans. She never wore her good clothes when doing her chores, she did not want to get them messy.

"Whoa," Freddie said as he eyed her with wide eyes. She looked hot, dare he admit. He'd never seen her in such a way, it really gave him an entirely different perspective on her. "She looks stunning."

"Yeah, and you're drooling," Jonah replied with a snicker. Freddie quickly shook his head and closed his mouth, not realizing that he'd even been gawking at her. Jonah and Shannon smiled as they each followed Sam out back.

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Hope you liked this one, you know the drill ^_^


	4. Meeting the Animals

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 4 (Meeting the Animals)

"So Freddie, what do you think?" Jonah asked as he and Freddie sat on the back porch and watched Sam start heading for the barn. "You've never seen this side of Sam before, she keeps it secret from everybody." Freddie nodded and frowned, finding it unfortunate that Sam thought he, Carly, or anyone else for that matter, wouldn't like her for who she was. Why did she have to hide it? Why was she so afraid? Didn't she trust her best friend? Freddie loved seeing this side of her.

"You dated her and didn't know anything about this?" Jonah shook his head and Freddie muttered his confusion. If she dated Jonah, why had she not trusted him enough to tell him about this part of her. Jonah, if anything, got a whiff of this life, but nothing more than just Sam's happiness. "Didn't she trust you before what happened?" Jonah frowned and looked at Sam, he hated having to deal with that memory. He knew how much he had hurt her, and after he became a dog, he learned even more about how truly the trauma affected her.

"Every guy seems to choose Carly over her, and then I try to kiss Carly. I don't like thinking of that memory, I really don't." Freddie could see the hurt in Jonah's eyes, like he was struggling with something deep inside. Maybe he needed to be reminded that he didn't need to feel so bad anymore, what was past couldn't be changed, it was time to move on and try to live his life properly, to learn from his mistake and never do it again.

"Would you ever do something like that? I mean would you ever hurt someone in such a way again?"

"No. Not after that, not after how I saw how it affected Sam. I'm not that person anymore. At least she doesn't seem bothered by that anymore, but she is still bothered when guys always go after Carly than her. She does often get upset when she wishes she'd at least get noticed first." Freddie shifted his eyes to the ground and Jonah merely shrugged. "She didn't trust me completely, or maybe she did, I don't know. What I do know is she always told me it wasn't the right time for me to meet her family, that she didn't want me to see them yet. I later learned she was still afraid I'd judge her, that I'd start calling her things like 'country bumpkin' and stuff."

"Oh, and how did you learn that?" Jonah narrowed his eyes and looked at Freddie with a half-smile.

"Take a look. I'm a dog now. Sam found me on the side of the road and took me in." Freddie nodded and eyed the farm, seeing all the animals roaming about. He didn't think anyone would make fun of her, at least he wouldn't. She seemed like she did have a good family and was very loved. He thought she was doing a great thing by raising animals here.

"The guys don't know what she's missing. She is a great person, why would they overlook her?" Jonah narrowed his eyes and stared at Freddie as though he were a great idiot. Freddie caught this and pawed the ground for a minute, feeling guilty about doing the same exact thing. "Okay so Carly's popularity kind of outshines Sam's aggressive side. Yet, if she showed who she really was…" Shannon walked over, smirking, having heard the conversation. Freddie was starting to blush at his thought.

"Say it," Shannon quipped with a grin. "You must say it."

"Okay, I'll say it, _lunch_." He growled at her and she slowly stepped back. He sighed and turned to look at Sam. "If she showed who she really was, her beauty and personality would outshine Carly any day." He could see that she was a beautiful person, but he never really imagined he'd say something like that. "Anyhow, you'll never speak of that, lunchmeat."

"Ah there's the new guy, and he's making fun of the tiny poodle," A voice said from behind. Shannon yipped and Jonah sighed as they turned around to see a German Shepherd walking up to them. "I'm Isis, Sam's number one guard dog." Jonah mocked her and she quickly glared at him.

"You know, she doesn't choose favorites," Jonah chided as he slowly narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah right, and I'm sure you're actually a human." She rolled her eyes and frowned, she was one of the few that was still a bit ambivalent about whether Jonah was really a human or not. "So who are the new pups?"

"Freddie and Shannon, but Sam calls them Amato and Snowflake. They were human like I was. They got ahold of some orb and are now a couple of mutts." Isis chuckled and looked at Shannon, almost wanting to eat the tiny dog. She looked over at Freddie and tilted her head, she recognized the name, as Sam often spoke of him.

"Freddie? As in Freddie Benson, the tech producer of Sam's webshow?" Jonah nodded and Isis sneered a bit while circling Freddie, who by now was feeling very uncomfortable. "Can I eat him?" He paled and Shannon chuckled, finally someone was considering _Freddie_ as lunch, and not her. Jonah shook his head and Isis growled. "Are you kidding? He's the cause of-" Jonah quickly silenced her, not wanting to anything to be said of Freddie just yet. He'd rather Freddie figure things out himself. "Fine, I won't say anything. I'm Isis, I arrived here about a month or two before Jonah, or Jock, whichever you want to call him."

"She likes to think she was the first one here, but in truth, she wasn't. The first was a golden retriever named Shadow, he's still here. He's a bit old, but very nice and wise."

"Only us eight are the ones still here, our caregivers still hasn't been able to find homes for us." She frowned and slowly shook her head. Since being there, several animals had come to the farm and been adopted. It made the ones that hadn't been adopted start believing there was something wrong with them. Isis pawed the ground and frowned with frustration. "Even Shadow hasn't found an owner. Families these days want puppies, not some old dog. They don't realize that old dogs need homes too! They could take a puppy with them too if they wanted too." Freddie and Shannon exchanged sad looks as Isis glared up into the sky. "Sometimes even the older ones are calmer and make great companions. We're all stuck here because we couldn't stay at the kennel, it's like nobody even wants us."

"Yeah, but you'll find someone, I'm sure of it." Isis groaned and shook her head as they glanced over at Freddie. He was looking at Sam again. He couldn't get enough of her, it seemed. "Uh Freddie?" He cleared his throat and smacked Freddie upside the head. Freddie jumped and looked over at him. "You seemed distracted by something. How are you enjoying the view?" Isis and Shannon snickered as a smirk crept onto Jonah's face.

"I have _no_ _clue_ what you're talking about!" He exclaimed in his defense. Jonah knew better, but it seemed Freddie wasn't going to admit he was actually starting to feel something, if anything, towards Sam. "I think we should go over and meet the others now!"

"Good idea. Let's see if we can find them." Jonah sniffed the air and smirked, he found one of them nearby already. "I've found Scooter! Follow me!" Jonah ran off and the others quickly followed behind. Shannon and Freddie stumbled somewhat, they would have to get used to the running part. "Scooter is a toy fox terrier. Sam calls him a little Terror."

"Why?"

"He's crazy, but fun. He's always running around, barking up a storm and nipping at every little thing he can find. Sam plays with him when she's not busy or isn't tired." The group stopped running near a pig pen and glanced around, Jonah was sure Scooter was around this area. He noted a pig looking up at him and smiled. "Hey Balloon, how's it going." The pig snorted and Freddie stared at Jonah with a look of disapproval. "What? That's his name. I'm not calling him fat."

"Hey Jock, er…Jonah, what can I do for you?" Balloon asked with a gruff voice. He was one of the animals that was still suspicious of Jonah having ever been human. Most actually believed him, though. "Just make it fast, I think Sam's coming around with the slop pretty soon! My tummy's just anxious for it. I need to eat, then I'm getting a mud bath! I'm hungry and I feel _filthy_."

"Wouldn't rolling around in the mud get you filthier?" Shannon asked with confusion.

"No, it's how they get clean," Jonah replied as he straightened himself up. "We're looking for Scooter, have you seen him around?" Just then, a small dog leapt up onto Jonah, causing him to fall into the ground. Jonah groaned out painfully and growled as the others laughed. "Nevermind, I found him."

"Hey Jonah, how's it going!" Scooter exclaimed while playfully biting at Jonah's coat. Jonah moaned and slowly stood up. He shook himself and sighed, glaring at the annoying pup.

"Why is it nobody's adopted you yet? I mean you're playful and all, so seriously, you need to be adopted!"

"Is he that annoying to you?" Freddie asked with a laugh. Jonah shrugged as Scooter continued going about as though he were hyped up on sugar.

"This dog has a lot of youth in him, that's for sure. Settle down Scooter, calm down mutt." Scooter yipped and started running circles around Jonah. "Looks like _someone_ needs to cut back on his sugar intake, don't you think?" Jonah smirked and gently put his mouth around the scruff of Scooter's neck, lifting him up off the ground. He raised his eyebrow when he saw Scooter's legs were still going at a rapid pace. "Why does that not surprise me?" Jonah turned around and set Scooter on the ground, facing him towards one of the mud puddles. He released and Scooter ran forward, crashing into the large puddle of mud. Jonah smirked and tilted his head to the side. "Oops."

"Oh that was cruel, Jonah." Scooter barked and flipped in the mud puddle, he couldn't seem to get out.

"He was asking for it."

"Ah I would have done the same thing," Isis responded with a laugh. "Too bad Sam has to bathe him, the kid hates baths." After a minute more of struggling, Scooter finally climbed out of the puddle and slowly walked over to the group, sighing and shaking himself.

"Why do you always do that?" Scooter asked despairingly. "It always gets me in trouble with Sam and she puts me in this weird tub and sprays me with water and puts this weird looking foam on me." The others started laughing and Scooter rolled his eyes. He turned to Freddie and Shannon, then grinned, forgetting about his current sorrowful moment. "Hi! So you're new here? I'm Scooter! I'm really fun and really nice and really enjoyable, did I mention that I'm really fun?"

"And really hyper too…" Isis lowered her head and smirked at him, causing him to emit an nervous chuckle. "So, we're showing the new guys around. Can you be calm, and not hyper? Cause you know, if you're hyper…" She gave a toothy grin and narrowed her eyes darkly. "You're going to be dinner!" Scooter yelped and leapt back fearfully.

"I'll be good Miss Isis! I don't want to be dinner!"

"Good. Now come along and please, feel free to remain silent. One hyped up peep from you and we'll be having you for dinner."

"Yipe, yes ma'am!" The group started walking and Scooter stepped next to Shannon, sighing sadly. "Why do they always pick on the small dogs?" Shannon shrugged and looked over to see a beagle and Dalmatian running towards them. Scooter grinned and jumped up excitedly. "It's Sugar and Sassy!"

"We caught a scent of new pups and had to come meet them," Sugar said with a sweet smile. She looked at Freddie and Shannon, realizing they were the new members of the farm. "Hi, I'm Sugar, I'm glad to meet you."

"You too," Freddie replied with a smile. The Dalmatian sniffed the air, trying to figure out where a certain filthy smell was coming from.

"Someone smells like…wait…" She looked at Scooter and smirked while tilting her head to the side. "Did you have fun with your little piggy brethren, Scooter?"

"It's not my fault, Sassy! Jonah made me run into the mud!"

"Well maybe if you weren't so hyper all the damn time, it wouldn't have happened." Sugar rolled her eyes and smiled as she stepped in between the two.

"Can we please get along?" She asked in a gentle and soothing voice, she always tried to keep the peace between everybody. She walked over to Scooter and began licking his coat. "Here, this will keep you clean enough until Sam can give you a bath." Scooter's eyes went wide and he quickly jumped away.

"No!" He shouted out defensively. "I will _never_ take a bath! I can't stand them!"

"Well no need to spaz out about it," Another dog barked from behind. Scooter sighed as a black Doberman came walking to them, he had a white spot around his eye, much different than Jonah. Sassy smirked at him and stepped forward.

"Well hello Fluffy, how are you?" She responded with a snort. Fluffy winced and growled at her. He hated the name. He often wished it was Sam that named him, but no, it was her uncle looking for a joke that decided to give him that name.

"I _hate_ that name!" He always made himself out to be a tough dog, so naturally his name was a hindrance for him. "Just you wait, I'm going to tear that human to shreds one day! Isis probably wouldn't let me, though…"

"Nope, couldn't bring myself to allow that," Isis replied while walking on. "Has anyone seen Spaz?" She looked over at the new dogs and gave a smile. "He's a Chihuaua, by the way."

"There's a Chihuaua named Spaz?" Shannon asked with a raised eyebrow. Isis nodded and the dogs continued walking on, searching for the remaining animals.

"It fits him, that's for sure. He goes nuts over every little thing." Freddie laughed and slowly shook his head, Spaz sounded really familiar to him. "If you've seen how a cat jumps up and its hair stands up at the slightest loud noise, well that's Spaz for you. I've never met a dog quite like him, to be perfectly honest."

"Yeah, I can't wait to meet him." The dogs walked into the large barn on the property and found the golden retriever sitting down on a pile of hay.

"Shadow, how are you?" Shadow looked up at them and smiled, pleased to see the group.

"I'm good," Shadow responded as he stood up and stretched. "The whole group's here, huh? That's good." The group heard mewing sounds and looked up to see four cats on the ceiling beams. They each leapt off onto a stack of hay, causing a small dog to jump out of the stack in terror. Some of the dogs laughed and Isis pointed at the frightened dog.

"That would be Spaz." Spaz shouted and shot towards the door, but Isis quickly grabbed him and planted him on her back. "Relax Spaz, you're fine with us." She sighed and turned to the cats, who were now standing side by side, eyeing the new members. "So there are the cats. The black one is Nikki, he's kind of sly and a bit of a troublemaker." Nikki was caught in between two white cats, one fluffy, hairy one and another with short hair.

"Good to meet you guys!" Nikki said with a smirk. He was already thinking of ways to pull some pranks on them and get them in trouble with Sam, it was how he welcomed each new member to the family. Although, it seemed Sam was starting to catch onto his tricks.

"The white one with less hair is Powder, she's just about as sweet as Sugar. Beware, they might just give you a major sweet tooth." Sugar bowed and rubbed Isis briefly.

"Aw, thanks for the compliment," Sugar responded. Powder agreed and purred as she rubbed against Isis, giving her thanks to her. Freddie and Shannon merely nodded, understanding the sweetness of the two. Isis closed her eyes and sighed, she could just feel that sweet tooth coming on.

"Moving on, the orange cat is Cheeto. He's kind of lazy, but loves making messes that he likes to call _art_. He's probably the family's favorite cat, since he's often the one that always wants to be next to someone or in their lap." Cheeto smiled and lifted a paw, waving at the others. "Then finally, you have your 'royal highness' Princess, who likes to think she should be completely pampered and spoiled."

"How could you wait to introduce me _last_," Princess asked with a subtle scoff. Isis rolled her eyes as Princess pointed her nose up in the air and walked over to Freddie and Shannon. "It is a pleasure to meet my two newest humble subjects." The two glanced at each other uncomfortably and Powder cleared her throat.

"Princess, you're making them feel uncomfortable." She looked at the two and smiled. "Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you. So how did Sam find you guys?"

"Well, Freddie and I are just like Jonah," Shannon said with a subtle smile. Powder frowned apologetically and started to say something, but stopped when they heard Sam calling for them.

"Oh, we need to get going then," Freddie said as he looked away. He glanced back at the group and frowned, he couldn't help but to wonder why this group of animals were not being adopted. "One quick question though, why is it that you guys haven't been adopted yet? You're all nice, fun, sweet, everything that a pet ought to be…" Everyone quieted and Shadow closed his eyes.

"Let me tell you something," Shadow said with a wise voice. "Sam's family works with the animal rescue adoption clinic a little ways north of here. All the dogs and cats being adopted go there. Certain animals need to be sent here, those are the ones with medical need, need to be socialized, or various other things. We don't go to the kennel, we can't, they're different than us. Anyone looking to adopt us have to come here, and quite a few people have looked, but nobody's ever adopted us. To be honest, I guess nobody wants an old dog like me or a hyped up toy terrier." Scooter frowned as Shadow slowly shook his head. "There are many things humans like, but it seems they just don't like us."

"That's not right."

"Well, when you have an old dog like me, a hyped up terrier, a crazy Chihuaua, a Doberman that acts too tough for his own good…well, most people don't want that, and it seems those aspects turn them away from the sweet and gentle ones, like Sugar and Powder." Freddie scoffed with disbelief and stared down at a straw of hay.

"You can't be serious. I know _dozens_ of people that would love you guys!"

"Unfortunately that seems to be the case for most of us. Most were also strays. Isis wasn't, she was actually a police dog. Her owner merely got tired and dumped her here." Isis closed her eyes and frowned, recalling the memories of abandonment. She wasn't a bad police dog, at least she didn't think she was. Why did her officer have to get rid of her? She let out an angry growl and turned away.

"Whatever, let's get moving," Isis said as she started walking. Freddie and Shannon looked at her with concern and glanced at each other. "Sam needs us with her."

"Yeah, she's right," Shannon said as she started moving ahead. "Shadow, it was great meeting you!" The other animals followed the group out as Shadow laid back down on the ground. They saw Sam looking around outside, almost frantic. Freddie let out a bark and she looked over and smiled, she hadn't thought to check the barn, how stupid was that.

"There you guys are! I was so worried!" Sam called out as she ran over and picked up Freddie. She looked at the other animals and froze her gaze upon Scooter. He winced and tried to hide behind Jonah, but Jonah stepped out of the way. "Scooter, did you get yourself tossed into a mud puddle again?" Scooter moaned as Sam set Freddie down and picked him up from the ground. "You know what this means. You're going to have to have a bath." Sam started walking towards her house while the other animals followed her. Scooter whined and Isis felt the need to comment on him.

"Just stop getting dirty and you won't be taking anymore baths!" Scooter glared at her and growled, but this only caused the others to laugh more. They didn't mean anything by laughing at his misfortune, but they did know they enjoyed teasing the pup.

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This does bring back memories, I have revised some chapters and kept some the way they are. Hopefully you've enjoyed this chapter. We've learned a bit more on the other animals, this is good. You know the drill.


	5. The Missing

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

A/N: Sorry, I meant to update yesterday, but the internet was crap, so I'm uploading both Chapter 5 and 6. I believe I went ahead and left these chapters as how they origionally were, they seemed good enough that they didn't need to be revised

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Chapter 5 (The Missing)

The dogs all ate food from their dog bowls as they listened to Scooter shriek and scream from the bath. If only Sam could hear dogs, then she would know that he was cussing up a storm. Needless to say, every animal loved Sam and her family, they were literally their heroes. The Puckett family was trying everything they could to get them some homes, but nothing was ever going well.

Freddie finished his food and lifted his head toward the bathroom where Sam was washing Scooter. He glanced over and then slowly walked toward the bathroom door, pushing it open with his paw. He looked in to see Sam soaked from head to toe and a very slippery Scooter squirming in her hands, he looked like a rat, a large black and white rat. Freddie chuckled softly as Sam turned her head and laughed, he had never seen this side of her before. For some reason, she seemed to shine more than Carly.

He felt his heart jump and paused for a moment, he shook his head and made a small groaning noise. _"Nah it couldn't be."_ His mind had always been set on Carly, but where was his heart in all of it? Had his heart been seeing something in someone else? Most likely, since the trick he did with Madam Fontessa made his mind completely split and bred confusion. Right now, he wasn't sure at all what his heart was looking for, and he needed to get his mind on that right track. _"I need to clear up this confusion in my mind first."_

The clouds in his mind were what blocked anything, he was confused about his feelings for Carly, that much was said. After all these years of pining for her, he finally realized how much like a stalker he seemed. Now, he just needed to sort out those feelings somehow. As Madam Fontessa said, if Carly wasn't the one, then confusion would enter and he could not find love until everything was sorted out and the clouds of confusion left. He looked at Sam and saw Scooter licking her nose, causing her to giggle.

"Now Scooter, this isn't getting you out of a bath," Sam stated.

_"Heh, I can't help but think she looks incredibly cute…or is that my heart feeling it? I don't know what my heart is feeling."_ Freddie watched Scooter squirm even more, trying to jump out of Sam's hands. He chuckled and lifted his paw to take a step forward, then stopped and set his paw back down. "Hey Scooter, if you take a bath, I can make Jonah not toss you in the mud anymore!" Sam looked over at Freddie and smiled when she saw him.

"Amato, did you come to watch Scooter take a bath?" Sam placed Scooter in the tub and smirked. "Sorry Scooter, but just because your new friend is in here doesn't mean you're getting out of taking this bath." Freddie chuckled and walked up to the tub as Sam started to rinse Scooter down. He looked at Sam while she did this, she looked incredibly serene and peaceful. He was almost lost in a trance until he managed to snap himself out of it. He watched as she grabbed a towel and rubbed Scooter vigorously. She then took him and placed him on a table. With a blow dryer in hand, she started drying Scooter

"You are so lucky I'm nice," Scooter said while looking over at Freddie. "I was just about to escape!" Freddie laughed as Sam clicked off the blow dryer and sat Scooter on the ground. She walked out of the bathroom and glanced over as the phone line began to ring, she picked up the phone and started talking. Freddie sat next to her and listened to her speak, there he had a strange reaction. Perhaps he never caught it, perhaps he overlooked it before, but Sam had a gorgeous voice. It was like honey to his ears.

Yet something strange took place once more, her voice turned to a panicked tone. She looked around and her eyes widened in fear. All the other dogs and the cats surrounded her as she continued to speak, she nodded her head and slowly hung up the receiver. Her hand was shaking and her eyes were quivering, nobody knew what was bothering her. Jonah suspected it might have to do with someone gone missing. Sam had not had a similar reaction when she found out he went missing, personally he never knew what her reaction was, and was thankful for it.

Freddie on the other hand, was about to see her tears. She fell back onto the couch and her lip quivered, she had just received news from Carly stating that Freddie's parents said he never returned home after iCarly had ended. This scared her, devastated her, she wasn't going to be able to accept this. She closed her eyes and tears started to fall from them. Freddie quickly leapt up onto the couch and into her lap, he placed his paws on her chest and started licking her face. It was more of a reflex than anything else.

"Amato…" Sam placed her hands on Freddie's sides and sat him in her lap. Cheeto jumped up and laid next to her leg, providing warmth any way he could. Powder and Sugar jumped up and rested next to Sam as well. Nikki made it to the top of the couch and placed his head on top of Sam's, causing her to chuckle. Isis sat next to the couch and looked around, daring anything to move and harm Sam. Sassy and Fluffy rested their heads on her legs while Jonah sat next to Isis. Scooter and Spaz both hopped up onto the couch and rested next to Sam as well.

She had to admit, she hadn't been expecting such a thing to happen. She knew it was true that animals could sense things out of the ordinary, like distress in a loved human. Freddie looked at Sam and frowned, he hadn't seen her with tears before, and for some reason, he didn't like to see her cry. "Amato, Freddie has gone missing." Shannon walked over to the group and looked around, trying to see if it was possible for her to fit in anywhere, but Sam was already crowded.

Sam let out a small sigh and tilted her head back slightly. "Mr. and Mrs. Benson are looking all over the place for him, but they don't know where he is. Carly says Mrs. Benson came over an hour later to see if Freddie was over there, and he wasn't. Not only that…but the only thing they found was his cell phone. It was left in Carly's apartment." Freddie looked over at Shannon and narrowed his eyes, blaming her for Sam's pain. That shocked him, though. He didn't think Sam, of all people, would experience pain if he vanished.

"Why am I even crying, I don't know. I mean, he loves Carly so much that he always ignores me. I can kind of guess why, but I wonder what he'd think if he saw the real me." Freddie tilted his head and Sam looked at him while rubbing his head and back. "He'd probably think I was weird, Amato. They all would most likely make fun of me. I feel a need to be different, I'm just too scared of what people would think. Maybe I should have told him sooner…" She sighed and slowly shook her head. "I'm sure he'll be back, soon. There's no reason to worry!"

"Don't cry, Sam," Freddie said while licking Sam's face. She chuckled lightly and he moved his head back slightly. "I don't think you're weird. Sure, you're different, but that makes you unique…" He wished she could hear him, he wished she knew that he was Freddie and that he wouldn't think less of her. As for the current moment, he had no clue what he thought of her. All he knew was that he liked her a lot and that she was definitely someone that was important to him.

"Okay guys, I have to get up and go meet Carly." The animals quickly left her area and Sam slowly stood up, still holding Freddie in her arms. "I can't say I was expecting it, but oh well. I'll do my homework later." She set Freddie on the ground and walked toward the door, he quickly followed after her. Shannon bounded next to her as well. Sam placed her hand on the doorknob and glanced down. "Hey, Carly doesn't like dogs anymore, though she used to. She'll freak out if she sees you." Sam bent over and petted both Freddie and Shannon, she smiled as she did do. "But it seems like you'd never hurt her."

"Exactly what happened to Carly, anyway?" Shannon asked as Sam scratched behind her ear. Freddie moaned softly and gave a brief sigh.

"She was walking down the street once and entered an alley where there were a few stray dogs," Freddie replied as Sam quickly stood up. "The dogs were vicious and they started to attack her. She ran, but they were plenty fast." Shannon's eyes widened as Freddie's face hardened up. "They caught her and pulled her down, clawing and biting her."

"Oh my god…what happened after that?" Shannon was shocked, she had wondered how Carly was alive after an experience like that.

"It just so happens that a police officer was passing by when he heard the distress, so he shot a gun in the air and the dogs ran off. Carly was barely alive, if it wasn't for the quick work of the officer…she would have died. After that, she doesn't trust any dogs. If a dog made a sudden move, she'd probably freak out." Shannon blinked as Sam opened the door and stepped out, both Shannon and Freddie quickly darted out the door. Sam looked at them and laughed.

"Fine, you can go," Sam said while crossing her arms and shaking her head. She didn't want her friend to get upset or anything, but she also wanted to be with the dogs. "Just try to stay a good distance away from Carly…I don't want her to become afraid of anything. She needs to know that she can feel safe. I'd say it'd be good for her to be around dogs, that way she'd not be so afraid of them." Freddie nodded and Sam tilted her head to the left.

"I think Spaz and Scooter would be too much for her," Shannon stated while following Sam. Freddie chuckled and gave a quick nod.

"Those two deserve to go to a family that has children. Well, Scooter does, I'm not sure about Sir Freak-out." Shannon laughed and Freddie gave a toothy grin. "Spaz would probably need to go to somebody calm, quiet, and that won't make a lot of noises. I still wonder why it is that most of the dogs are here and not at the said kennel where they should go to be adopted."

"Most of the animals here are animals that needed or need special care," A voice stated. Freddie and Shannon both jumped slightly and looked over to see a chicken following them. "Hi, I'm just a chicken on the farm." He smiled and the two dogs glanced over at the fence. "Don't worry, I'll go back to the farm, but I just wanted to see the new dogs. I overheard you talking….Well, it happens that most of the animals here need special care, constant love and socialization that a kennel just can't offer. That fact scares a lot of potential owners, they think everyone here is vicious."

"I haven't met any vicious ones," Shannon said while nodding her head for a quick moment.

"Exactly…every single animal and cat here are just fine. They're all well suited for nice family homes, some might be better suited for older children than younger ones, but they're still deserving of homes."

"Sam will find them all homes, I'm sure of it," Freddie said as he turned around. Shannon nodded and joined Freddie and Sam. They were completely sure that Sam could find them homes, and they would help in any way they could. The chicken shrugged and clucked as he quickly flew to the fence.

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And there's Chapter 5 for you, happy thanksgiving! Well...belated...review ^_^


	6. Realizations

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

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Chapter 6 (Realizations)

Sam watched as Freddie and Shannon ran around, but stayed with her. They were chasing each other, mostly Freddie was chasing Shannon. They were running in circles, barking at each other. Shannon was more begging for him to stop chasing her and that she didn't mean to annoy him, Freddie was just annoyed by her and therefore he was chasing her in circles.

Sam rubbed her chin and watched the two dogs, she figured they needed collars, especially Amato. After all, she was looking at Amato being her personal pet, she loved Shiba Inu dogs and this one was extremely cute to her. Not only was he extremely cute, he was also very sweet to her. However, he didn't seem to like the poodle, that was one thing she was noticing. She wondered if it was possible to socialize the two dogs together and get them to be friendlier with one another. Over the years, she actually did well with animal socialization, she had learned a lot from her family.

Freddie and Shannon ceased their run and continued to walk next to Sam. Shannon was panting and Freddie held his head up triumphantly. "Well that was a good run, though I could do more," Freddie said as he smirked. Shannon rolled her eyes and huffed, she didn't enjoy being chased. Although, she did oddly enjoy the run, it was probably normal for dogs. Sam bent over and scooped Shannon up in her arms, Shannon laughed and smirked at Freddie. His mouth opened and he quickly looked to the side, he wanted Sam to pick him up.

"Amato, don't torture Snowflake." Freddie looked down and his ears fell, Shannon merely grinned and Sam raised her eyebrow. She had to wonder if the dogs were competing for her attention; it sure seemed like it, dogs did have that type of jealousy where they would compete for the master's attention. "I hope you two realize that I'm not going to give one of you more attention than the other." Years of working with animals taught her that animals did indeed understand humans when they talked to them. After all, that was how you teach animals, by talking to them.

"I think she gives you more attention, Freddie," Shannon stated as she looked down toward him. He shrugged and she merely stared ahead. "So, do you think we should go and show Carly that dogs aren't vicious?" Freddie raised his eyebrow and shrugged, he couldn't think of anything they could do for Carly. If they went near her, she would freak out. There wasn't much chance of them being able to show her that not all animals were violent. "She just needs a calm and patient dog, one that is wise and will not pose any danger."

"Well, that's assuming she could ever have a pet," Freddie replied while staring straight ahead. "The plaza does allow pets, but Lewbert hates seeing them in the lobby." Shannon snickered at the memory of crapping on Lewbert's shoe. If anything, she wanted to do it again. She squirmed in Sam's arms and jumped out to walk next to Freddie. "And just why do you think I'm going to let you walk next to me?" He raised his eyebrow and Sam looked down at the dogs with a soft smile.

"Oh, just because if you don't, you'll get scolded by Sam again…" Freddie rolled his eyes and shrugged, he didn't particularly care. "It's not like I'm still interested in you or anything." He raised his eyebrow as Shannon looked toward the ground, he gave a sigh and slowly shook his head.

"I don't want to sound mean, I don't mean to be hateful, but really the closest I'll ever feel for you is…maybe a brother sister kind of thing." Shannon's ears perked up and her eyes brightened, that was something she could actually live with. "Yeah, but just don't get used to that or anything, you still creep me out a little."

"That's okay! As long as I know you don't _hate_ me."

"Nah, I don't hate you. I just didn't like the way you were always coming to me and wanting me to have some type of relationship when I always said that I just wasn't interested." He actually thought maybe Carly hated him for his stalker like tendencies, he knew he most likely annoyed her. He wasn't sure, but he thought he annoyed Sam as well. The strangest thing, though, was that Sam was the one who seemed really worried about his whereabouts. "She seems upset…" Shannon looked over at Sam and nodded her head in reply.

"You know, I agree. Maybe you should let her pick you up." He nodded and ran in front of Sam, causing her to stop and look at him. She gave a slight smile as he stood up and pressed his paws on her legs.

"Aw, do you want me to hold you, Amato?" Sam asked as she bent over and picked Freddie up. She smiled and rubbed her nose in his fur. "You're such a cutie, yes you are." She sighed softly and rubbed Freddie's neck. "You know, I'm really worried about Freddie. No one's even heard from him in a few hours."

"If only you could hear me, I'd tell you I'm right here," Freddie said in a sad voice. His words only came out as a whimper. Sam let out a sigh and rubbed his head as she made it to Bushwell Plaza, she entered and saw Lewbert sitting at his desk. He looked over and started to scream, but stopped when Shannon glared at him evilly. Remembering his shoe, he quickly glanced back at the desk and waited as Sam entered the elevator and went to the top floor. They could hear frantic sobs and silenced as they entered Carly's apartment.

Shannon's mom was there, crying hysterically. Once she had realized Freddie was missing as well, she made her way over to talk with the Bensons. Shannon's brother was there also, he was standing next to his mom and patting her back. The Bensons seemed upset too, but were calmer because of their training at the police academy. Spencer was working on a sculpture, or trying to, he really seemed to be trying to distract himself from the distress and panic in the room. Carly had been at the kitchen, she looked up and stiffened when she saw the dogs.

"Sam, you're here, but you brought _them_ with you," Carly said while pointing nervously at the two puppies. Everyone looked over at the two dogs. Shannon's brother raised his eyebrow and Carly gave a slightly fearful shake. "C-Can you get rid of the dogs? Also, what's with your clothes?" Sam looked down at her clothes and frowned, she had forgotten that she was in her work clothes. Her messy t-shirt and faded blue jeans, Freddie actually thought she looked cute in them. "Weren't you wearing something else earlier?"

"Yeah, but I had to change into something else since I decided to go for a jog. I kind of slipped and got a bit dirty too." Sam placed Freddie on the ground and smiled. "Don't worry about the puppies, they're very friendly. They wanted to come with me…I started closing the door and they shot right out." Carly never really knew Sam liked dogs that much, but then, there was a lot she didn't know about her. She didn't know, for example, that Sam really wanted to be a veterinarian and animal trainer when she grew up. Preferably, she wanted to be able to teach pet obedience classes when she got older.

"Okay, just don't let them come anywhere near me." Sam nodded and Freddie nudged Shannon, he gestured with his head that they better get away from the people so Carly could move freely around. Shannon nodded and followed him up the stairs and stopped where there was enough space for them to lay down. Carly left the kitchen and walked over to everyone. "So, Freddie's cell is here and Shannon's was found outside. Do you think they tried to run away together?" With that, Freddie scooted away from Shannon, earning a snicker from her. He looked up and saw a split look of horror on Sam's face, she hoped Freddie wouldn't do that.

_"Why does she care if I ran away with Shannon, not that I would want to do that,"_ Freddie thought as he placed a leg over his other leg. Of course, the confusion in his head prevented him from seeing just how much Sam cared about him, first off, he would have to clear out all doubts of Carly. Shannon looked over at him to see him staring at the girls with slight distress and confusion, she sighed and placed her head on the floor.

"So, why do you like Carly?" Shannon asked in a quiet and curious voice. Freddie blinked and raised his eyebrow, he wasn't sure why he liked Carly. She was perfect, she was a girl that every guy wanted, wasn't that right? He liked her from the instance he first laid eyes upon her, but had he really been able to know anything about her? What did he know about her? Her favorite color was pink, she liked what? Freddie placed his head on the floor and put his paws on top of his head, he wasn't sure. "Well?"

"I-I don't know!" Shannon raised her eyebrow and Freddie slowly stood up. He paced the stairs and stared down at his paw. "I mean she's lovely, I guess. Well, yeah, she's pretty…" Freddie looked over to see Sam and Carly talking with one another. When it came to Carly, she seemed to shine a little, but her shine was dulled by something, something brighter. When he looked at Sam, what he saw was beauty in its finest. "Why do I love Carly? I've been asking myself that question ever since I first saw Madame Fontessa…I just don't know how to answer it."

"Well…" Shannon looked over at Carly and moved to sitting position. "What do you know about her, other than perhaps her favorite color?" Freddie sighed and continued pacing, trying to think of something, anything that said why he loved her. "I mean sure, there's that physical attraction, but to like someone, you need more than that…Otherwise it is just a crush, and crushes don't mean a thing. I think I've learned there is a difference between crushes and love. To have a crush is to like someone based on how attractive they are…"

"That's what you think?"

"Yeah, and while you think you know everything about that person, you really don't know a thing. What is Carly's favorite color?"

"That one is easy, it's pink!" Shannon lifted her eyes up and hummed slightly, she was sure it was something else.

"In homeroom one time, I remember the teacher asking us about themselves, Carly and I had that same class. I think when he came to her, she said her favorite color was actually blue." Freddie's jaw dropped and Shannon started to pace the floor while Freddie moved to sitting position. "What else do you know about her?"

"Her favorite animal is the horse."

"If I remember correctly, I think she told the teacher that her favorite animal was actually a robin." Freddie rolled his eyes and Shannon made a humming sound. "Favorite dance?"

"Slow…"

"That's Sam." Freddie raised his eyebrow and started to ask how she knew that, but she answered it for him. "At the last school dance, Sam was there and I saw her sitting on the wall…a regular wallflower. I decided to go over and ask why she wasn't dancing. She said that while the slow dance was her favorite dance, she had nobody to dance with."

"Oh…" He turned his gaze toward Sam and frowned. "Her favorite color is red and her favorite animal is actually a horse. I remember hearing her say those things once before." Shannon sighed and stepped in front of Freddie, looking into his eyes.

"I believe they said you need to sort out the confusion, so what is it that you're confused about?"

"Do I love Carly or not? If not, then who does my heart go to? I mean, there are lots of pretty girls out there. I don't dare use the term 'beautiful' to describe anyone unless they meet the criteria of beautiful."

"What is that?"

"Someone who is beautiful inside and out…their beauty shines outside and they have a spectacular personality. Maybe they're tough enough to deal with me, perhaps they're also sweet and gentle, but not so sweet that I'd get a sore tooth. You know chocolate gives you a major toothache, but some sweet tasting food, like French toast doesn't. I guess now that I think about it, Carly's sweet…but she's _too_ sweet. I worry about her sometimes, that she's too nice, she doesn't have a tough bone in her body. Anybody could take advantage of that."

"Carly would then need someone who could give her everything she wants and undivided attention. Does she command such a thing?"

"Sometimes…she likes to have the attention. I worry, what if she gets into a relationship with someone abusive? She can't just squirt them with a water bottle and hope they'll stop…would she actually be able to escape such a relationship? I admire someone who can stand up for herself, someone who can hold her own in a fight and perhaps isn't too perfect." Shannon raised her eyebrow and Freddie lay back down, placing his head in between the bars on the stairwell.

"It sounds like you just figured out she wasn't the one."

"Yeah…then who is?" He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled as he listened to the people in the room try and figure out where he might be at.

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Chapter 6 is good, hope you've enjoyed the chapter. 5 and 6 are basically like two parters. Hey, let me tell you about those parts divided into chapters, theres a REALLY INTENSE one coming up in the later chapters which had three parts to it...involving Carly. You're going to enjoy it, I'm sure. Review if you will


	7. Royal Adoption

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

A/N: I'm trying to get through the first 12 chapters quickly because I want to start uploading my new chapters. So far I have a total of 21 GREAT chapters written. God I'm proud to be finishing this story.

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Chapter 7 (Royal Adoption)

They had been at the Shay house for a few hours, everyone was still discussing the fact that Freddie and Shannon were missing. Sam was acting as though she didn't care, but doing so was hard enough. Freddie knew he didn't like Carly any longer, but that confusion still lingered. He pondered who exactly he had feelings for, because his he knew his heart was aching for someone, only he had no clue who it was.

"I never should have gone to that magic shop," Freddie muttered while narrowing his eyes. Shannon glanced over at him and he slowly stood up from his position. "I could have figured all this out without the use of magic, and I wouldn't be so damn confused!" Shannon nodded her head in reply, she wished she never went to the magic shop either. She just wanted to be a normal human again. She bowed her head and a small tear rolled down her side of the face. Freddie looked to her and nudged her side. "Don't blame yourself."

"Why? It _is_ my fault!" Freddie sighed and slowly shook his head, he didn't think it was necessary for her to blame herself when she had no clue what was going to happen. She pawed the ground in frustration and growled, she hated that she had to do what she did. "If I didn't go to the damn magic shop, then I wouldn't have taken that orb! If I didn't take the orb, then I wouldn't have given it to you and we wouldn't have turned into dogs."

"Shannon, enough of that nonsense, what's done is done." Shannon looked at him with sad eyes while following him down the steps. "We can't return to normal by wishing that we didn't go to some stupid shop. Sure, we don't know exactly what to do to turn back, but I'm telling you, we will." Shannon thought about Jonah and gave a quick scoff of disbelief.

"Jonah was a dog for eight months and he still is, so how will he change back? How will we change back? I'm thinking we'll never change back to being human!"

"I think you have it easier, you just have to find someone who matches with your heart. That would have to mean they would love you in return, I think."

"I think Fontessa said it was more when your mind and heart match up. Like if it _was_ you, then my mind would have to agree that my heart feels something for you, they would have to be on the same wavelength. Apparently, I _thought_ I liked you when in reality, my heart wasn't really attracted to you. I guess it's something like that." Freddie shrugged and glanced over at Sam, he saw how calm she appeared but he could tell she was shaking. "Besides, there is one person…" Her voice was so lowered that Freddie missed what she said, when he looked over, she shook it off as though she said nothing.

"Why would she be shaking so much? Why is it she seems so concerned?" Shannon raised her eyebrow and glanced over, she wondered how Freddie couldn't tell that Sam was genuinely concerned about him. Hell, she would even go so far as to suspect that Sam likes Freddie a lot, maybe enough to call it love. Then she remembered, the confusion he had would naturally blind him from seeing how Sam felt for him. Maybe it was best they not worry much about that at the moment.

"You know, I feel bad that nobody adopts the animals on the farm, maybe we should help them find homes!" Shannon's eyes beamed with hope that Freddie would consider the idea. He looked at her and sat down, ignoring the fact that Carly was only a few feet away and staring at him in terror. Shannon sat down and stared at Freddie. "I know someone that Princess would really fit in with!" He raised his eyebrow as Shannon gave a quick nod. "My mom needs someone to pamper, she'll just go insane. Princess…didn't Jonah say she acted like royalty? She would love my mom!"

"Well, if you honestly think that your mom wants a kitten."

"She does, she's wanted a pet for practically the longest time, so I think we should get her one, and Princess fits her. I'm positive she'd be satisfied."

"Okay, now how do you intend to go about getting your mother to adopt Princess?" Shannon hummed lightly and slowly shook her head, she hadn't thought about that one. She narrowed her eyes in determination and part irritation and tilted her head slightly to the side. "Having some trouble figuring this out, are you?"

"What?" Shannon looked up to see Freddie smirking and narrowing his eyes, it was definitely harder than they thought. "Well maybe my brother could get her the cat. I'll just have to think of an idea." She pondered the thought and strategies and ran through her mind. "He could definitely try to talk to Sam about adopting Princess. If he met her, he'd fall in love with her just like Mom would!"

"Heh, well if you say so." Shannon nodded and quickly bounded toward her brother, causing Freddie to raise his eyebrow.

"Hey Jeremy, you can't hear me, but Sam's giving away puppies!" Shannon barked and Carly jumped back in fright. _"Oh, I forgot about Carly, my bad…"_ Sam sighed and quickly scooped Shannon up, taking her away from Carly and placing her back with Freddie.

"Snowflake, you can't do that," Sam said while lightly tapping Shannon on the nose. "Carly's afraid of dogs, so it's not a good idea to be around her right now." Shannon bowed her head and Sam rubbed her back before getting back up and walking over toward the others. "Sorry about that, I still have to watch after them. They're not dangerous or anything, just excitable." Freddie snickered and Shannon quickly glared at him.

"Not a _word_."

"Oh don't worry, I wasn't going to comment on how _brilliant_ that move was just now," Freddie said while laughing at Shannon. She growled and barked at Freddie. Jeremy looked over and tapped his chin, he frowned and closed his eyes.

"Mom's really going to miss having Shannon around," Jeremy said as he slowly shook his head. "Wherever my sis is, she's probably thrilled not to have to deal with Mom trying to spoil her constantly." He laughed lightly and Shannon looked over at him with sad eyes. Sam raised her eyebrow in question, spoiling usually was a good thing to some people. "You wouldn't believe how many times Mom wanted to dress her up or comb her hair…I sometimes wonder what she thought Shannon was, a doll?" Sam let out a laugh and crossed her arms over, Shannon's parents had left a little while ago, they wanted to eat some food and therefore went to the pizza shop down the street.

"You don't suppose mom just wants a pet to pamper, do you?" Sam asked as she rubbed her chin. "A pampered cat might actually be just the thing to distract her from thoughts of Shannon until she's been found."

"Yeah, I suppose I should go to the animal shelter, maybe they've got a spoiled rotten cat somewhere." He laughed and Sam shifted her eyes to the side. "It's just, what I saw right there reminded me of Shannon. Shannon was always trying to get attention somehow, most of the time it was so she could tell Mom to stop buying her so many clothes…" Freddie snickered once more and Shannon slowly turned her head to glare at him.

"So I don't like having a million prissy dresses in my closet! She snapped out, but Freddie kept chuckling. Sam thought of Princess and smiled lightly.

"You know, I know where there is a cat like that if you're interested," Sam said in a quiet voice. "I think the people there would be thrilled to let you adopt her."

"Yeah, it may be a good idea, I think it would really help ease Mom's mind," Jeremy replied while standing up from the couch. "After all, it's only been a few hours since Shannon disappeared and she's already freaking out. Who knows, Shannon's probably just at a smoothie shop or something and dropped her cell phone into the hallway. Where is this farm, by the way?"

"Okay, let me see if I can remember the directions." Sam walked over to the counter and started writing on a small sheet of paper. Jeremy stepped over and watched as Sam wrote down all the directions. "Just ask for Princess, I believe that is the name of the cat that I think your mom would like." She smiled and handed the paper to Jeremy. She hoped Princess would finally be adopted, since she had been stuck on the farm for a very long time.

"Thanks, I'll be sure to check it out. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to check all the places that Freddie likes to go to." Freddie raised his eyebrow and opened his mouth in shock, he was surprised that Sam knew any of his favorite places. She always said she didn't care and usually didn't pay attention when he talked about them, Carly generally did.

"What places _does_ he like to go to?" Carly asked with confusion, she didn't know many places he enjoyed. Freddie was dumbfounded once more, he just couldn't believe what was happening.

"Its fine Carly, don't worry about it," Marissa Benson said while smiling and walking over to Sam. "Sam, does that mean you'll be searching with us?" Sam nodded her head and Shannon glanced over at the extremely shocked Freddie, she didn't think he'd be that surprised by the circumstances, but she was wrong.

"Okay, I'm going to check out that cat," Jeremy said while turning toward the door. "Thanks, I'm sure she'll be perfect for Mom. I'm hoping the cat will like Shannon when she returns." He stepped out of the door and Shannon lay on the ground, while she wanted to follow him, she knew that she wouldn't be able to. Sam headed toward the door with the Bensons, she stopped and looked back, smiling a tiny smile.

"Amato, Snowflake, let's go," Sam called out. Freddie and Shannon barked and quickly followed after her.

Sarah and Dave Puckett entered their house and instantly found themselves being greeted by the animals. They smiled and started petting them. "They missed us, I'm sure," Dave said with a small chuckle. Sarah nodded and picked up Cheeto, Cheeto mewed and licked her chin. Dave smiled and rubbed the back of Cheeto's head. "How beautiful is it when they decide to come and greet us?"

"They're very sweet, that's for sure," Sarah responded while walking toward the kitchen. She found a note on the counter and read it off. "Mom and Dad, I've fed the animals and have done the farm work needed to do. I'm at Carly's right now, Freddie's missing." She gasped and looked over at Dave. "Freddie's missing!" Dave raised his eyebrow and stepped over, he had a quizzical look on his face. "I hope it isn't anything too serious, do you remember when that boy, Jonah when missing?" Jonah lifted his head up at the mention of his name, he moved over and licked Sarah's hand.

"Heh, I think Jock is trying to get your attention." Sarah looked down and smiled as she knelt and rubbed Jonah's head. Dave sighed and crossed his arms over. "I'm hoping it isn't anything like that. Jonah's family is still devastated." Jonah frowned and looked toward the ground, he had a little sister and she loved him to death. Without him around, his sister was probably crying every day. He missed her more than anything and would give anything to be by her side.

"Too bad about them," Princess said as she jumped onto Jonah's back. Jonah growled slightly and narrowed his eyes.

"To what do I owe your splendid presence?"

"I'm beautiful, that's why."

"I feel I should make kitty dinner out of you." Princess shrugged and moved around in a circular motion.

"It wouldn't matter to me, nobody wants me. No one wants any of us." She jumped off of Jonah and slowly walked toward the couch. "I'm just a kitty who wants a home. We're all innocent little creatures who want homes, but we'll never get any. I'm just a kitty, I don't ask for much, all I desire is a home, is that asking too much? We animals are unable to stay at the kennel, people don't want to come here to find us, so it's really not fair.." Princess hopped onto the couch and made her way to the top where she peered out the window. "Adopt me, that is all I ask for." She watched as a black car drove up to the curb. "It is all we wish for. A place to live, a place to love, a master with care to give…" She watched as a wealthy looking young man stepped out of the car. "Can it be a sign from above?"

"What do you think?" Jonah walked over to the couch and stared out the window.

"No, most likely not, Just someone to glimpse at, at most…" The doorbell rang and Princess jumped behind the couch. "I do not wish to peer at someone who shall not adopt me, it builds up too much false hope."

"I'm sorry about that." Jonah watched as Dave and Sarah answered the door, they smiled and shook the man's hand.

"Hello, I'm Jeremy."

"I'm Dave, and this is my wife Sarah." Dave gestured toward Sarah and then signaled for Jeremy to enter. "Is there something we can help you with?"

"Yes, I'm looking to adopt." The animals all looked over with wide eyes, but they were not as energetic as they were so long ago. This was because they'd seen so many people come with an adoption request and leave without taking anyone home with them, no reason at all to rejoice. "A girl told me that I might be able to find a cat here that will be great for my mom."

"A cat…yes, we have four cats looking to be adopted." Dave looked over and saw Nikki on the kitchen counter, he smirked and took Nikki off. "This little devil is Nikki, he's a pure troublemaker." Nikki lifted his paw and tapped Dave on the chin.

"I think you have something on your face," Nikki said while narrowing his eyes. "Put me down, I can walk on my own. This person looks too upscale for me…" Nikki peered at Jeremy and he gave a slight chuckle. He thought Nikki looked extremely cute, but he wasn't the cat he was looking for. He looked at Cheeto who rested in Sarah's arms, he pointed and Sarah gave him a smile.

"This little guy is Cheeto," Sarah said while rubbing his head. Cheeto mewed and peered at Jeremy. " He's a sweetie. He actually enjoys playing around, most of the time he creates messes."

"It is called _art!"_ Cheeto scolded while playfully slapping Sarah's face with a soft paw. Sarah laughed and gave him a quick hug.

"Where is Powder?" She looked over the living room and saw Powder sitting in a litter box, Powder jumped up slightly and ran behind the couch.

"How embarrassing!" Powder cried out. Jonah chuckled and slowly shook his head. "I'm _so_ embarrassed! I can't possibly come out now!" Jonah moved his head behind the couch and gripped a tuft of her neck, she sighed and let him carry her over to Jeremy. "Okay, thanks…"

"Powder is a sweet cat, she'll make for a great and loving home. Now, we have a fourth cat somewhere…but I don't see her anywhere." Princess moved her head out from behind the couch and scoffed.

_"It's like a dream, he looks like he's from an upscale family, I'd love that!"_ She thought as she started to slowly step out. She hesitated and huffed while moving back behind the couch, she was too nervous and sure he wouldn't like her.

"I'm actually looking for a cat named Princess, I think that's what she said," Jeremy said as he ran his hand on Powder's back. Powder was rubbing his leg and purring as all the animals stopped and gazed in wide wonder. "The girl said she thought this was where there was a cat named Princess. She said that she saw the cat once and it seemed like it might go well with my mom's personality. With recent stuff, Mom really needs something she can take care of and love."

"Oh my god…" Princess's eyes widened and her paw was held in the air in a shocked tone, he actually wanted her. Jonah looked over at her and laughed lightly.

"What are you waiting for?" Jonah asked as he moved toward her.

"I-I'm just shocked." Jonah gripped Princess's neck and picked her up. "Hey! What are you doing! You'll mess up my fur!"

"Well you weren't moving, and don't think I'm pleased with having this hair in my mouth." Jeremy looked over and bent down to pick Princess up, Dave and Sarah merely smiled at the sight.

"That's her," Sarah said while setting Cheeto on the ground. "I think you're going to like her."

"Yeah, she does look cute, I think I'll take her home with me," Jeremy replied. Princess nearly jumped with excitement, she was actually going to a home, finally she didn't have to fear anymore.

"Thank you everyone!" Princess called out. "You were all such good loyal subjects, I'll miss you terribly." The pets rolled their eyes and chuckled as Jeremy followed the two parents into another room. Everyone had to admit, they couldn't be happier for Princess. They would miss her, though, they were not going to deny that. She always had a certain quirkiness about her.

* * *

So I did change that long poetic thing Princess said, I didn't like it in there. Now it's time for the next chapter. Keep in mind, this will be one of the last times I upload two chapters at the same time on this story. I only do that on special occasions, as anyone can tell you. It looks like I may be getting new readers too, I'm happy, I'm quickly getting my place back.

NOW, for a response to the anonymous reviewer...CARLY? A dog because she gave Jonah an orb? I never even thought of it, I will be honest though, I don't like the idea. I'm one of those that do not think Carly and Jonah should ever be a good couple. You'll soon see who it is that I often pair Jonah up, unless you're an old fan of mine, you already know. She'll be here soon. Though someone did give an orb to Jonah, she's not an important character to the story and is only mentioned two times, once in the earlier chapter and again when her name is brought up. That's all. Thank you again to everyone who's reviewing, I appreciate all reviews! Even the short 'good chapter' ones, though I'm always tempted to ask "what did you LIKE about the chapter?" lol. Review my friends. DAMN it's good to be back


	8. A Comforting Heart

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 8 (A Comforting Heart)

Hours later, Sam returned home with Freddie and Shannon. The search had been unsuccessful and she needed her rest. David and Sarah were waiting as their daughter returned home, they hoped she would get her homework done, but they also knew this was a hard time for her. She probably wouldn't be able to concentrate on her homework, which would be unfortunate.

Sam slowly walked into the living room, feeling completely exhausted from all the searching they had done. She had Freddie in her arms and Shannon was walking next to her. All of the other dogs were playing outside, despite the fact that most were inside dogs. "Hey honey, how did it go?" Sarah asked with a sad smile. She felt for her daughter of course, so it was a very sad time for everyone. Sam closed her eyes and shook her head. David decided it would be best to change the subject to something more pleasant, if possible.

"So Sam, we had an adoption today," David said with a smile. Sam smiled back as her father stood up from the couch. "A nice young man came and adopted Princess, I swear it looked like that cat was going to die from all the excitement!" Shannon yipped and Freddie looked over at her and grinned, they got one of the pets adopted, so it was natural that they'd be pretty pleased with themselves. David rubbed his chin as he eyed the two dogs, he hadn't seen them before. "Sam, where did you find them?" Sam set Freddie on the ground and let him run over to David. Shannon tilted her head and walked over, wondering what Freddie was doing.

"Hey, you have to suck up to the parents or they won't let us stay," Freddie said as he hopped up onto David's lap and grinned. David laughed as Freddie put on the energy of a little puppy. Shannon watched with her head tilted and sighed, she didn't think it was at all necessary to do what he was doing since the Pucketts had plenty of animals.

"You do remember all the pets we met, right?" Shannon asked with a raised eyebrow. Freddie looked back and hopped over to her.

"Yeah, but hey, you never know what'll happen." Sam laughed and picked Freddie up. She patted him and placed her chin on his head.

"This is Amato and that's Snowflake. A woman brought them to the apartment and lost them, they came into Carly's place and I brought them here. I really, _really_ want to keep Amato!" David rubbed his chin in thought as Sarah looked over at him, Sam didn't have a personal pet of her own, and was used to not being allowed to get _too_ attached to an animal because it had to be adopted. There didn't seem to be any reason why she shouldn't have a pet for herself. "Plus, he appeared when Freddie disappeared, so…I think that should amount for something!" Freddie chuckled and looked to Mr. and Mrs. Puckett with the biggest puppy dog eyes he could make. Sam made an 'aw' sound and smiled. "See? Even Amato wants to stay!"

"You don't _have_ to do that," Shannon said while slowly shaking her head. Freddie kept his look and gaze onto the parents as he spoke to Shannon.

"Well the cuter you look, the better, I always say!" Shannon rolled her eyes and slowly shook her head. At least Freddie wouldn't have to worry about being adopted off, that's what she thought at least. She felt he should stay with Sam. After all, it seemed like Sam needed him with her at the moment, even if he was in dog form and couldn't tell her anything.

"Yeah, well I still say you're a suck up!" She laughed and Freddie merely looked over to the parents, once more with pleading eyes. It seemed that both David and Sarah were suckers for the cute puppy look, despite the fact that they had probably seen the look a million times in their life.

"You know, maybe they'll decide to _spay_ you!" Shannon's jaw fell and she quickly sat to the ground in shock. She hadn't thought of that, didn't most dogs getting put up for adoption have to be spayed or neutered? Also, if that was the case, would it affect her when she became human? Fear swept through her like wildfire, she couldn't be spayed, that just couldn't be allowed!

"Oh yeah, well how would you like to be neutered, I bet that would be fun for you!" Freddie paled and Shannon smirked triumphantly. Maybe they wouldn't spay her unless she went into heat and it caused trouble for anyone in particular. She shrugged and looked over to Sam's parents.

"We don't see any reason not to keep Amato," David said while standing up and walking over to Freddie. He smiled and patted Freddie on the back. "Are you wanting to keep Snowflake or let her be adopted?" Sam set Freddie on the ground and looked to Shannon while tapping her chin. She didn't really think Shannon needed to stay there, it wasn't necessary to keep more than one dog as a personal pet. "If you think about the situation, I believe you said a lady owned both of them. That would mean the two were probably raised together…"

"I think we should put her up for adoption," Sarah said as she slowly moved to Shannon and knelt down to pet her. Shannon decided to lick Sarah's hand, signifying that she trusted the woman. Sarah smiled and stood up. "However, I do feel that we should wait on that. We need to get her used to the other dogs, in order to socialize her and so forth. We'll have to make sure to get her to be sociable with others, so that she can be separated from Amato, since we have no clue how long they had been raised with each other."

"They do look like they're at least one year old, Mom," Sam stated while watching Freddie sniff the ground. He was sniffing to see where the other animals were, since he kind of wanted to join them. He could smell each scent of the cat, and he heard some barking outside. Sam was thrilled that she got to keep Amato, and Freddie was well excited too. He wanted to tell Jonah about that.

"Okay then, Snowflake will not be put up for adoption just yet. Oh, and Sam?"

"Yeah mom?"

"I love you, I hope Freddie will be okay." Sam smiled as Sarah gave her a hug, a tear left her eye. She really wanted Freddie to be found, because if he were lost out there, or dead, then she was going to feel really bad about herself. "It's late, I would like for you to try and do your homework…though I know Freddie will be on your mind." Sam nodded and moved toward her room, Freddie and Shannon started to follow behind. They looked over and saw Jonah moving toward them.

"Hey, I heard you get to be Sam's personal dog," Jonah said with a subtle smirk. Freddie nodded and Jonah gave a little frown. If Sam became attached, would that be a bad thing when he became human? "I know it's a good thing, but remember…it would be hard for her to lose a pup." Though it would be better to receive Freddie back in turn for giving up her dog.

"I understand that…that's why I hope I can be human sooner than later." Jonah nodded and Freddie started to walk toward Sam's room, figuring he may as well find some place to lie down. Jonah smirked and sat down next to Shannon.

"Hey Freddie, try not to stare at her too much!" Freddie rolled his eyes and groaned, it wasn't like he was planning on doing that. He entered Sam's room and jumped up on the bed, Sam wasn't in the room. She was most likely in the bathroom. He stared over at another door and watched as it opened, Sam stepped out and looked to Freddie. She smiled and started petting him.

"Hey Amato, be a good boy while I take a shower, okay?" Freddie's eyes widened and Sam closed her bedroom door. He sighed and looked away as Sam undressed. To his disdain, there was a mirror in the direction he was looking at, and Sam was reflected in it. His eyes grew large and he found himself glad that Sam couldn't see if his face was growing red.

_"What have I gotten myself into now?"_ He wanted to close his eyes, but found it hard to do so as he watched Sam remove her shirt. She removed her shirt, then her pants, and then stood with nothing on at all. _"I don't…wow…that's just…"_ Freddie shook his head and closed his eyes, when he opened them, Sam had a towel wrapped around her body and was stepping into the bathroom. Freddie could breathe again. He rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes, a dog's life was definitely something he'd have to become used to.

After some time, Sam stepped out of the bathroom. Freddie looked up and saw that she was wearing a golden nightgown that went to her knees and had spaghetti straps on her shoulders. "Hi Amato, that bath really felt great!" Sam smiled and rested on the bed, she looked to Freddie and let out a small sigh. "I don't know if we'll ever find him, Amato. I know I should work on my homework, but I just can't bring myself to do it." Freddie watched as Sam wiped away a small tear. For some reason, he didn't like to see her cry. He slowly moved over to Sam and licked her face, causing her to let out a giggle. "Okay Amato! That's enough!" She laughed and Freddie curled up next to her. She smiled and moved to her side, wrapping her arms around Freddie and closing her eyes. No matter what, he wanted to be able to comfort her until he could return to human form. He rested his chin on the arm underneath him and closed his eyes for the night.

* * *

Freddie, Freddie, you'd better hope Sam doesn't maim you when and if she finds out you were Amato. I think you guys are going to be surprised in Sam, as well as Carly. Not only that, but Madame Fontessa is FUN to write! I try to keep her shrouded in mystery. Is she a good character or is she a bad character and so forth, you can never really tell her intentions.

OKAY A QUICK QUESTION! Well more a statement. Those of you that know my story SAM'S DARK PAST, I'm probably going to rewrite it, maybe not. I want you, and my newer readers to read it. Now the other half of my statement. You know my other account, KING NATE, I'm thinking of transferring all my stories over there back to this account, since people really didn't catch on that KN was me...That includes JESSICA'S DARK PAST, the sort of sequel to SDP, it was her side of the story, and I'm going to conclude the story too, that means finishing it up. I'm not sure when I'm going to do that, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately, so it may be during DOG DAYS's reign (considering I've finished writing it) or it may be after it's been finished. If you want, go read JDP, or you can wait until I've started transferring it over here. I know it didn't have a lot of readers, so I'm not sure if I'm going to work on it or not. I want to finish it, I do, so I probably will


	9. Morning Suprise

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 9 (Morning Surprise)

The next morning, bright and early at six in the morning, Shannon and Jonah joined all the dogs at Sam's door to wake her up. Shannon was having so much fun, she didn't realize how regular it was for the dogs and cats to wake her up every morning. Jonah had explained that some the dogs and cats alternated days in waking her up.

"This is so much fun!" Shannon squealed as the dogs barked loudly at the door. "I'm going to get so much fun out of annoying Freddie!" Jonah raised an eyebrow and stared at Shannon. She'd become attached to Freddie as though he were an older brother, that gave her the privilege of bugging the living hell out of him. Soon, Sam opened the door and smiled at the dogs. Freddie was laying on the bed with his head raised slightly over his paws. He had to admit, the way Sam cuddled him to her chest throughout the night felt like heaven.

"Hey, a new record!" Nikki said as he trotted past the dogs. The dogs and cats were always in friendly competition to see who could wake her the quickest. "It took you guys twenty seconds to get her out of bed and to the door this time. We cats got her out in eighteen seconds." Fluffy closed his eyes and chuckled as he lowered his head behind Nikki and let out a loud bark, causing the cat to fly into the air and land on Isis, digging his claws into the dog's back. "Damn it Fluffy, don't do that!" Fluffy began laughing as Isis glared at him angrily, she was now in pain thanks to these two pathetic morons.

"Why make _me_ the victim?" Isis asked with a dark tone. Fluffy and Nikki both caught the warning and quickly backed off. She smirked triumphantly and huffed. "That's right, don't mess with the police dog!" Suddenly, someone ran underneath her, tripping her and causing her to fall to the ground. She yelped and groaned painfully as she looked up and saw Scooter had run into Sam's bedroom. "Damn you." Scooter ran to the bed and jumped up next to Freddie, hoping he would have some idea on how to get Sam to give him less baths. "I hope you're aware that palling around Freddie isn't going to make Sam give you any less baths than she does already. You are aware of that fact, right?"

"That isn't true!"

"Sure it is," Freddie replied as he stretched himself. He watched as Sam moved to her closet and began pulling out some morning clothes. "Just don't get so dirty, then you don't have to take as many baths." Sam looked back as the animals began making their way into the bedroom.

"You guys do enjoy being my alarm clock," Sam stated with a slight laugh. "Keep this up, and you'll be putting my own clock out of a job in no time!" None of the dogs minded that at all, they just enjoyed seeing Sam off to school every morning. "Now I just have to deal with morning chores before I can go to school." She sighed and started to undress. Freddie would have stayed to watch, feeling slightly perverted, but the others quickly pulled him out so Sam could have privacy. He chuckled nervously as Jonah stared at him. True, he didn't want a repeat of the prior night, but he couldn't help himself. For the first time, he saw not only how beautiful she was on the inside, but on the outside as well.

"So I take it you had fun last night?" Jonah asked with a subtle smirk. He knew Freddie slept in the bed with Sam, meaning he got cuddled. Not many animals got that pleasure. Freddie shrugged as Jonah glanced over at the door. "You guys will be in for a surprise today."

"Oh great, more surprises," Shannon muttered as she stepped next to them. She and Freddie both were not sure how much surprise they could really handle. Jonah walked towards the couch and leapt up on it, taking a position of higher animal, signifying his right to speech. He laid down his body and rested his head on his legs. "So what do you mean by surprise, Jonah?"

"I lied earlier when I said Sam kept her life a secret from _everyone_. There's probably only one person in this world, other than her family, that actually knows about Sam's life." Freddie and Shannon sat, their tails automatically began wagging, since they were excited to hear this news. They didn't appreciate the automatic wagging, but they weren't complaining. They just chalked it up as yet another thing to get used to. "Freddie. You remember Valerie Williams, right?" How could he forget? This was the girl who wanted to destroy iCarly and used him in order to do so.

"Yeah, what does she have to do with Sam, though?" Freddie asked curiously. Jonah pushed himself up onto his front legs and cleared his throat for a minute.

"Well, she and Sam became friends a while back. Valerie was going through a really rough time, feeling guilty for what she had done and constantly being made fun of." Jonah honestly knew how it felt, and somehow it made him stronger knowing there was someone else he could probably help to feel better about it all. "She is a sweet girl, once you really get to know her…"

"She never told me much about her life, so it wouldn't surprise me if there was some niceness under all that."

"There really is." Jonah smiled lightly and Freddie raised a curious eyebrow, it would appear the man had gained an interest in someone. "Sam befriended her and eventually trusted her enough not to laugh at her when she told her biggest secret of all. The secret of her life."

"How did Valerie take it?"

"Pretty well, especially considering Valerie _loves _animals. She comes over every morning and helps Sam with the morning chores!"

"So why did Sam trust Valerie and not Carly or Freddie?" Shannon asked instinctively. How could Valerie, the girl who became iCarly's enemy, be trusted more than Sam's closest friends. "It's kind of unfair, don't you think? Trusting Valerie over her closest friends…"

"You don't understand. Valerie became Sam's _closest_ friend over time. They had mutual interests, they had stuff to talk about, and Valerie understood Sam in ways that neither Carly or Freddie ever did. The same can be said of Sam to Valerie."

"I see."

"Sam has always been afraid of Freddie making fun of her for being a country girl, most likely because the two already always fought and bickered." Freddie peered guiltily at the ground as Jonah continued on. "Sam was afraid how Carly would react as well, considering when they first met, Carly seemed like someone who would most likely make fun of people who were farmers. Whether that's true or not, Sam just never found a way to tell her. Valerie, in her own ways, earned and proved Sam could trust her."

"That does make sense, I guess," Freddie said as he looked over and spotted Sam leaving her bedroom. Just in time, the doorbell rang. There was no need to question who it was. Jonah perked up and grinned as Sam ran over to the door and opened it. Valerie smiled and the two girls met with a hug.

"It's so great to see you this morning, Sam!" Valerie exclaimed with a smile.

"Are you ready for the morning work?" Sam asked with a laugh. Valerie nodded and stepped inside.

"Can I cook breakfast, though?"

"Not yet." Valerie loved cooking, there was nothing greater to her than the smell of something cooking in the oven or on the stove. Freddie was stunned, he didn't think Valerie was capable of such lengths, but he never really got to know the real her. Maybe that's why she and Sam made such great friends, nobody ever bothered to get to know the real them. "We need to tend to the livestock and milk the cows. We can go for a ride on the horses afterwards, if you want."

"Of course I want to ride them! I call dibs on Brianna!" Brianna was strong, beautiful Clydesdale, and Valerie's personal favorite. Sam laughed and nodded her head.

"Of course, you can ride her. Just be sure to pay attention to the other horses as well, they might get jealous."

"Yeah, I brought over some oats and treats." That was when Freddie noticed the big bag Valerie was carrying. Jonah hopped off of the couch and made his way over to her.

"She's adorable in my opinion," Jonah remarked with a bright smile. Isis chuckled and stared at him from the other side of the couch, she knew he liked her, but he never really admitted it.

"If I didn't have such keen instincts, I'd be afraid to think you liked her," Isis remarked with a smirk. Freddie and Shannon saw it too, so they had to agree.

"So what if I did?" He did feel an insanely strong connection to her, which he couldn't quite explain completely understand. Valerie felt it too, hence every time she visited, she made absolutely sure to spend some time with Jonah. He was her favorite dog. She _wanted_ to adopt him, but her parents were always saying no to a Doberman. "It's sad, people still give her hell." Freddie knew Valerie didn't deserve that, so maybe her friendship with Sam was really a good thing for her.

"She needs someone caring in her life," Shannon said with a subtle nod. "Somebody she can take care of who won't judge her." Freddie agreed and looked over at Sugar and Sassy. Shannon caught his glance and tilted her head slightly. "What are you thinking, Freddie?"

"Sugar seems really nice, do you think Valerie is looking for an adoption?" Freddie asked with a subtle smile. Jonah glanced over as Valerie started to pet him and hug his neck.

"She actually has been wanting to adopt a pet for a while, but her parents haven't found anyone good yet," Jonah remarked. He whined when Valerie let go of him and followed Sam outside. The animals proceeded to follow them out as well.

"She needs some sweetness in her life, right? Someone who can dry her tears and be a gentle heart for her when people keep tormenting her…Sugar would be _perfect_ for the job."

"There's only one problem with that." Jonah frowned as Freddie stared away curiously. He hoped there wasn't anything serious, what could be so wrong with all of that planning? Sugar and Sassy are best friends, inseparable, they _always_ stay together. Hell, it's even recommended they be adopted together. One just couldn't last without the other, kind of like how Sam and Valerie are now."

"Damn." Maybe there was a way, but if there was one, Freddie sure didn't see it. He looked over to see Sugar walking up to him, she had a question for him regarding his name.

"Freddie, do you prefer Amato or Freddie?" Sugar asked with a soft smile. Freddie shrugged and returned her smile.

"I don't mind if you call me either one."

"Hmm, well Freddie's your human name, so I'll call you that!"

"Okay. So what do you think of Valerie?" Sugar tilted her head and looked over to see Valerie and Sam feeding the pigs their slop. Sugar really liked Valerie, the girl was always fun and nice.

"She seems nice, and I hear her father works at a fire station. I wonder if she ever gets scared about that." The possibility that Valerie could lose her father at any moment was frightening for anyone, and putting that with the stress Valerie already had with everything else, made it even worse. "Sometimes I just want to go and be with her during those sad moments that her father gets called out."

"You should, I bet you wouldn't leave her side for a moment." Sassy laughed as she stepped next to Sugar, smirking and nudging her friend in the side.

"Are you kidding?" Sassy asked as Sugar looked up at her with a grin. "This dog wouldn't leave the side of a dying spider." Freddie laughed and Sugar shrugged, it was true for the most part. Sassy sat down and looked off in a slight daze, dreaming of fire stations. "I've always dreamed of fire stations." Sassy always told Sugar how much she wanted to be a great firedog, just like her father before her had been.

"Her dad was a great firedog!" Sugar piped joyously. "He braved t he biggest flames and would bring anyone out that he could. No matter what, he never gave up. He was probably the fire station's bravest firedog ever."

"Wow, he sounds awesome!" Freddie exclaimed. He wondered how Sassy came to be stuck at the adoption clinic, then, if her father was so well reknowned. "So what happened?" Sassy frowned and looked down, narrowing her eyes and clenching her teeth.

"When I was just a pup, he led a fireman through a burning building on a heated rescue. That fireman had a beam fall on him and my father did everything he could to save him, but in the end, he too had been severely wounded by a nearby wall falling down on him. He had been forced to leave the fireman in order to complete the rescue. The kid escaped, but my father and the firemen lost their lives that day. It was then that the station decided to give me up."

"My god, that's horrible." Sugar moved over to Sassy and licked her once, embarrassing her, but making her feel better at the same time.

"You don't have to do that."

"I want to make sure you're okay," Sugar said with a determined nod. Sassy smiled slightly and rubbed her head against Sugar's.

"Thank you." Sugar looked over at Freddie and sighed.

"Sassy's always wanted to live up to her father's legacy and brave daring rescues. It was her greatest dream to work beside a fireman, but no firemen has ever come here for a firedog. Any ones that do come looking for a pet never see the potential Sassy has! She trains like every day!"

"I bet she would be a great firedog."

"You think so?" Sassy asked as she lifted her head up. Her eyes were wide and hopeful, she was happy to see someone else actually believed in her spirit. Freddie was genuine, he could see it in her. She seemed like someone who just wouldn't give up on anyting. "I just wish someone could see it, but even still, I'd be sad without Sugar. She is my best friend!"

"That's why we're so hard to adopt," Sugar said with a sad sigh. True, she'd rather never be adopted than to lose Sassy, but there wasn't an animal in the world that didn't want a good home. Freddie nodded and looked over to Valerie. How hard could it be? Her father was a fireman. So somehow, they would have to get him to see Sassy's potential and adopt her, and if Sugar gave Valerie enough comfort and attention, then Valerie might adopt her. He'd have to think of something. He wouldn't give up until he was positive they'd be given to good homes, well deserving for them. At the very least, the two deserved a great home.

* * *

Well there you have it, chapter 9. The last reviewer was right, it's Valerie. Jonah/Valerie is probably my second favorite pairing, if not my favorite nowadays. I'll still probably end up always writing Sam/Freddie as the main though. Gotta say, Shannon and Freddie will have some great friend, brotherly-sister moments. Since I've probably only used her in one or two other stories, I'm willing to bet who she gets paired up with won't be as obvious. Well, review on the chapter, let me know what you liked and such ^_^


	10. A Promised Adoption

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 10 (A Promised Adoption)

A few hours had passed and the girls had left for school and their parents were away from work. The Pucketts usually had a lady check on the animals during the middle of the day, she was a friend of theirs. Jonah and Freddie were sitting on the back porch, watching all the animals play in the back while they made conversation. "So, Sam never told us that she was friends with Valerie, why is that?" The question had been weighing upon Freddie's mind for a while now, he figured Jonah must know.

"Would you want to tell Sam and Carly that you and I ever struck up a friendship?" Jonah had a point, the two girls might react a bit strangely to that. Although, Freddie really didn't care how they reacted, but Sam would probably worry more about them reacting to her friendship with Valerie since she seemed a bit more sensitive. "Again, Sam would be afraid of being chided for ever befriending Valerie, so she's a bit scared to reveal that to Carly. It doesn't matter who else knows, though."

"I see." The two glanced to the far right of the yard and saw Sassy and Sugar tugging on a rope. Sassy managed to pull the rope from Sugar's grasp and start running, the beagle chased after her. Sassy laughed as she led Sugar all over the yard, jumping in between two wooden bars of a fence, then over a larger fence and quickly ducking underneath one. Sugar trailed close behind. Sassy then took a quick turn at the chicken coop, dodged a few more obstacles, such as rocks, fences, and other animals, then finally jumping over a small creek. Sugar remained on the other side, she wasn't sure she could make the jump. Sassy smirked with pride and stared at her friend, as though daring her to try and jump over. Jonah chuckled and slowly shook his head, he always enjoyed watching those two play and run around. Who on the farm didn't, though? They were awesome.

"That's Sassy for you, all running and dodging, the fastest dog on this farm. She lives up her dream of being a firedog here, but sadly, I don't think she'll ever be adopted."

"How would we even get any firemen to see her potential?" Sassy would probably be a difficult task, considering she'd almost have to be in action in order for anyone to see how great she was. Freddie spotted Sassy doing a little victory dance with the rope, he smiled and looked around for Sugar, but couldn't see her anywhere. After a moment, he spotted her, slowly crawling up from behind Sassy, she must have gone around the creek. She then leapt forward, surprising her friend and pushing her to the ground, then stole the rope and ran off. "For a little sweetheart, she sure can pack a punch."

"It would seem so." Jonah nodded his head and looked over at Fluffy and Spaz, near the pig pen. The big Doberman was trying to scare the poor Chihuahua, and it seemed he was pulling it off. Too bad Spaz was the only one he could _actually_ scare. "You know, Fluffy's in the process of being adopted."

"Really? I thought he wasn't getting adopted yet. That's great, then."

"Yeah, he just got lucky. Somebody saw him the other day when Mr. Puckett took him for a walk, and decided to call and say they wanted to adopt." Spaz jumped up and landed on Fluffy's back, digging his claws into the dog and laughing maniacally. Fluffy yelped and shook him off, growling for a second, and then running off. "Since they couldn't pick him up then, they're going to come by today, possibly around the time Sam gets back, I'm not sure." Freddie smiled and watched Fluffy run around, he wished that Doberman the best of luck in his new home. Surely, he would be happy. "He's the luckiest one of us all, probably."

"Oh come on, I'm sure everyone will be adopted!"

"Says the dog that just got adopted by Sam…" Jonah smirked and Freddie gave a small sigh. He knew it might be troublesome for Sam when and if he ever made it to human form again. He was considering adopting a Shiba Inu for her whenever he turned back, since she loved those dogs so much. "A lot of these guys are losing faith that they'll ever be adopted. Hell, Shadow is prepared to die on this farm."

"He's not that old, is he?"

"He'll be nine in a few months."

"Aw, I'm sure he'll get adopted just fine, just like the others. Besides, I've been thinking about some things…I think everything's going to be okay Jonah. I want to try and see if I can possibly get anyone adopted in any way I can."

"You're a dog, what can you honestly do?"

"I don't know." It did pose a problem for him, considering he really couldn't talk. It made his planning a hell of a lot harder. Not only did he need to figure out how we was going to make all of these 'unadoptable' animals get adopted, but he also had to figure out what was going to happen when and if he ever became human again. He didn't know when that would be, since Jonah had been stuck as a dog for eight months, so he didn't try to think on that too much. Jonah closed his eyes and sighed, he knew Freddie meant well and trusted him to do the best he could to help the animals on the farm. Hell, he was going to do everything that he could as well, but he'd already tried, and found it hard as hell. He opened his eyes and glanced to the left to see Scooter running around in circles. Shannon was simply sitting on the ground, watching Scooter run around as if his tail was on fire. Freddie glanced over and laughed, he really loved seeing how much fun everyone had.

"You know Freddie. Scooter really does look up to you. I've never seen him connect to another animal so quickly before." Freddie looked at Jonah through the corner of his eyes and smiled, he felt a sense of pride from that statement. He was glad to have made good friends with someone. "You've started bringing him out of his shell, it seems."

"Well, I have decided to start helping him overcome this fear of water that he's got."

"That's good, I'm glad you're doing that."

"Thanks. So where are Isis and Shadow? I don't see them around."

"Hmm, Shadow usually stays in either the barn, or the designated 'dog room' in the house. Right now, since we're all out here, I figure he's in the barn. Isis is likely hiding somewhere around the trees, watching everyone. She likes to guard the place and doesn't let _anything_ bad happen." Jonah pointed over to the trees and Freddie glanced over there, it was hard to see, but eventually he caught a hint of brown fur belonging to Isis. He laughed as Jonah slowly stood up and started heading towards the doggie door. "Come on, let's go inside and mess with the cats."

"Oh great job Jonah, use the dog stereotype why don't you!" Jonah laughed and Freddie grinned as they made their way into the house. They started making their way into the kitchen when they heard a shout. Jonah held a calm face and looked to the counter where Cheeto was, but Freddie froze, with his paw dangling above the kitchen floor. Cheeto leapt from the counter and landed in front of them.

"Hold on, don't come in here!" Cheeto exclaimed. Freddie and Jonah moved their eyes to the floor and saw a mess of food, sauces, and a variety of trash. Jonah closed his eyes and groaned, Cheeto was always pulling this whenever the family left. It was a tad annoying. Freddie's eyebrows rose at the amusing sight, Cheeto really was crazy.

"Cheeto, what the hell is this?" Jonah asked in a gruff voice. Cheeto spun around and eyed his mess with awe and wonder.

"It's what you call _art_, Jonah! Isn't it great?" Jonah sighed as Freddie sheepishly lowered his paw to the ground.

"Yeah, it's _magnificent_." He rolled his eyes as Cheeto turned back to Jonah, prepared to defend his wondrous artwork. "It's going to get you in trouble with Sam when she gets home, though. The house has to be _clean_ before the person adopting Fluffy gets here, you know that!"

"Wouldn't that lady that comes to check on us do a good enough job of it?" Jonah's eye twitched and he swatted at Cheeto. Cheeto laughed and jumped backwards, avoiding the swat.

"Yeah, she'd probably tell Sam about the mess you created, though." Freddie listened with amusement and looked over at the floor. He wasn't exactly sure what Cheeto was trying to make, but it was an interest for him. Since Cheeto evidently loved art, he would be perfect for Spencer, who would probably understand and appreciate his 'messes' as everyone else called them. Nikki soon came from under Jonah's legs and poked his head out, raising his eyebrow and shaking his head pitifully. He had to agree with Jonah, Cheeto was a bit on the dense end of things.

"You know, _I'm_ supposed to be the troublemaker here," Nikki said as he looked up at Jonah. "We have company, by the way. That girl is here!" The group glanced to the front door, Nikki must have seen her park at the curb. The door opened and a girl in her twenties walked in. She looked at the kitchen and her eyes widened, Cheeto made a mess yet again, and she'd just got there. She laughed tiredly and walked over to Cheeto, who was considering rubbing himself against her legs, if that would get him out of any trouble.

"Cheeto, did you do this?" She asked while reaching down and petting him. "You know better." Cheeto mewed and watched her pull some cleaning utensils from the kitchen cabinet and walk over to the kitchen closet to get a broom. Soon, all of the other dogs came running inside, having seen her car pull up. They all entered the kitchen and shouted out in shock, each of them looked towards Cheeto immediately, causing him to chuckle nervously and droop his ears down. Scooter and Spaz were the last ones entering the door, and both were running for the kitchen at full speed. Freddie saw where this was leading, and quickly grabbed Scooter's collar, but Spaz shot right through and skidded through the chips and sauces, screaming as he collided with the counter.

"Aw you ruined his masterpiece, Spaz," Sassy said with a laugh. Spaz groaned and slowly stumbled over to Cheeto, narrowing his eyes and swatting at the cat.

"You just _had _to use the floor as your palate, Cheeto?" Spaz asked with a small growl. Jonah laughed as Nikki leapt up onto his back, they decided to leave the kitchen and go off on their own thing. Freddie watched them leave and followed them into the next room. He thought it was funny how Jonah just let Nikki curl up on his back.

"You let the cat rest up there, Jonah?" Freddie asked with intrigue, he didn't know Jonah was willing to let any of the cats do such a thing. Jonah looked over at him and smiled as Nikki closed his eyes.

"Yeah, Nikki is a promised adoption. Whenever I turn back, I'm going to adopt him."

"So you've grown close?"

"He's one of my best animal friends here. Eight months is a good time to make plenty of friends with the others, and I know he'd enjoy it at my house. The only problem is, I'm not sure when I'm ever going to return to normal, and I don't want Nikki to be adopted before then." Jonah was learning, that much was true, he knew what he wanted to do when he returned to normal. At least he thought he did.

"Have you matched your heart and mind, so to speak? That seems to be what everyone's been saying."

"I thought I did, I mean I've done everything I thought possible. I know I'm genuinely sorry for what I did to Sam, and I know I could never do that to anyone. No, I've learned my lesson, and that's why Sam found me, I believe." Jonah took a deep breath and bowed his head, eyeing the floor with frustration. What else did he have to do?

"What about Valerie?" Nikki muttered while still having his eyes closed, he was listening to the whole thing. Jonah's head shot up and he could feel his heart swelling.

"I know I wanted to ask her out before I was turned into this form. After I've been seeing her come and go all this time, learning so much about her and who she was, I know I love her."

"You would never hurt her?" Freddie asked with a small smile, if anything, this could be something that would help Jonah change. If not a redeeming factor for him, just knowing that he wanted to take care of Sam.

"No, I couldn't bear to see her cry. I want to protect her, that's what I want to do." Jonah walked forward and stared at the door, narrowing her eyes. "Whenever she comes here, she's always upset about the way people treat her. She's an angel and deserves to be treated right, and I know she deserves better than me, after what I did to Sam, but I also know that I can protect her from all those people, since I have been there."

"People never let you down either?"

"No." Freddie tilted his head and frowned, so Jonah had been where Valerie is. It seemed Jonah didn't let it get to him though, and that was why he would be able to be there for Valerie, and be that strong person she needed in her life. Jonah knew this, and that's why he knew he had to change from being a dog. All of his doubt was cleared, all of his guilt was gone as he knew he'd been forgiven and was capable of being forgiven. So what was holding him back? "I did something so selfish, so wrong, something that no man should ever do to a woman. I broke Sam's heart and I know it needs to be fixed, she needs a guy that she knows won't ever hurt her. As for Valerie, she needs someone who can make her happy, someone who can be strong and protect her and take care of her. I hope that whoever it is will be able to keep her happy."

"Yeah…" Freddie looked at Jonah's paws and his eyebrow rose, something seemed a bit different about his claws. Not only that, some of his fur was gone, and he didn't seem to be shedding. Freddie let out a soft gasp and looked up at Jonah, who did not seem to be aware of what was happening. "I think that might be you, Jonah! You're going to get your second chance!"

"What makes you say that?" Nikki opened his eyes and looked down, his eyes widening in a mixture of shock and fear. He'd never seen such a sight. Jonah's fur was being replaced by human skin. He yowled and leapt off of Jonah, smiling as he watched his friend.

"Look at yourself, Jonah!" Jonah looked down and gasped, he barked loudly and all the other animals ran into the room to see what was going on. They gasped as Jonah groaned painfully, it seemed transforming back was hell on the body.

"I-I'm returning to human form?" The girl walked out of the kitchen to see what was going on and froze in shock and horror, she'd never seen anything like this. Jonah yelled out and closed his eyes, smiling subtly. No wonder, he had to erase that selfish and guilty heart of his and admit that he'd done wrong, and to admit that there was someone out there who needed to be loved and to admit that someone was better than he was, and Valerie was a better person than he had been. Jonah collapsed to the ground and moaned, slowly pushing himself up. He started feeling himself and laughed, he was surprised to see that he still had clothes on.

"Congratulations Jonah, you're human again," Freddie said with a smirk. Jonah looked at Freddie and smiled, he was ecstatic. He was beyond ecstatic, he was in heaven! Human again, those were the greatest two words he'd ever heard in his life!

"Yeah, thanks Freddie." His eyes shot wide and the other animals gasped, he had just understood something that Freddie said. How the hell was that possible? "What the hell?" He felt himself frantically, trying to figure out if anything had not changed back, but everything seemed perfectly normal.

"It must be a side effect to the magic. Once you're an animal, you can understand them."

"Oh crap." Jonah took a shaky step forward and steadied himself. After eight months on all fours, it'd take some time to get used to walking on two legs again. He could deal with it though, it wasn't different than riding a bike. He looked at the lady who was pale as a sheet and smiled politely. "Hi, how about you do me a favor. Don't tell anyone what you just saw, not like they'd believe you anyway. Also, tell the Pucketts that Jock has been adopted."

"Y-Yeah, I'll do that," The girl replied while taking a hard swallow. What she'd just seen defied the laws of physics, the laws of nature, and possibly any other laws known to man. She felt like she was seconds away from fainting, but she tried to keep her calm. Jonah sighed and looked over at Freddie, smiling slightly. He knew Isis would take over for Jonah in several areas, so he wasn't worried about Freddie having to go blindly for the rest of his time. Isis looked up mournfully at Jonah, she was going to miss him, but she wouldn't admit to that.

"There's one more thing I need to do." Jonah smiled and lifted Nikki from the ground, holding him closely to his chest. This was his promised adoption, he wasn't letting the cat go so soon. Nikki purred and cuddled close to his new master. "I would like to make an adoption. Let's see if I still have my wallet with me."

"Oh don't worry, I don't think Mr. and Mrs. Puckett would mind if you took the cat for free." Of course she recognized Jonah, there wasn't a person in Seattle that hadn't seen his face on the news. "Considering how long you've been gone missing, I think they'd be fine with it. But this begs the question, _how_ and _why_ were you a dog all this time?"

"You're better off not knowing, believe me." He chuckled nervously and slowly closed his eyes, he knew explaining stuff would definitely be a hassle. He wasn't sure what he would say to his family or to his friends. Hell, he might have to introduce them to Madame Fontessa. "Just, could you grab the adoption papers?"

"Yes, of course." The lady left the room and Jonah slowly sat on the couch, letting Nikki curl up in his lap. The animals surrounded him, tears in their eyes. They were overjoyed, but also sad to see him go. Nikki looked at him and mewed, but Jonah stared at him with uncertainty, unable to understand him.

"I don't think you're going to understand him," Shadow said as he slowly sat down. Jonah looked over and Nikki frowned, that sucked. Shadow actually knew a lot more than what people suspected he knew. "You are not meant to hear your own pet's words, your 'soul pet' is the only animal you will never understand when you return to human form."

"Aw that's not fair," Jonah muttered as he ran his hand along Nikki's back. Shadow had at one time been Madame Fontessa's dog, but it was a short period before he left, he had never been a fan of hers. Everyone knew he was her dog, that's why the other animals were okay with believing Jonah and the other two were human.

"Madame Fontessa and her magic never made much sense. The only thing I was ever around long enough was to know what happened when a human turned into a dog and back. Nikki is your 'soul pet' as it is said. This is why he was one of the first pets you connected with when you became a dog, sharing an almost immediate bond. You see, when you meet your soul pet, your hearts instantly connect, recognizing the other, and you may not realize it, but your heart knows it."

"Sounds complex," Shannon said as she and Powder glanced at each other. "Make any sense to you, Powder?"

"I guess that might explain why Nikki and Jonah were always close," she replied with a smile. Sugar yipped and jumped up on the couch next to Jonah, licking his arm.

"I'm happy for you," Sugar said sweetly. She was extremely happy that not only did Jonah become a human, but Nikki found an owner as well. Jonah nodded and looked over to Freddie, frowning subtly, nobody was going to believe him if he mentioned being a dog. Surely, they wouldn't believe him either if he mentioned Freddie was one.

"Freddie, I can try to tell people you're a dog, but I don't think anyone's going to believe me."

"Don't bother with it," Freddie replied with a quiet sigh. He knew people wouldn't believe Jonah. He'd become good friends with him, so he didn't want anyone thinking the guy was crazy. "You have enough on your plate now. When I finally am human again, I'm definitely hanging out with you."

"If you want to, I mean it's up to you…"

"Yeah, you're cool by me, so I'll see you then." Jonah smiled and leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes and sighing calmly. Freddie just couldn't know how happy it made him to hear those words. Soon, the lady entered the room with the papers, she smiled and held them up.

"I found them!" She enthused. Jonah grinned and stood up. Nikki jumped down and started saying his goodbyes to everyone as Jonah went to sign the papers.

"It was really nice to know you," Powder said as she kissed Nikki's cheek. Nikki blushed as she took a step back. She always did have a bit of a crush on him. "Maybe we'll meet up with each other again one day."

"Maybe," he replied with a smile. He felt livid now, he had never expected Powder to kiss him. "I hope you get adopted into a great home, Powder." It wasn't long before Jonah reentered the room and picked him up, he wasn't able to say anything to the animals now otherwise the girl would think he was crazy. Despite the fact that she'd already seen him transform from a dog to human, so really her day couldn't get much crazier. "Bon Voyage everybody! Oh, and Cheeto, tone down a bit on the 'art' would you?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Nikki," Cheeto responded rolling his eyes. He smirked slightly and everybody watched as Jonah walked out of the house. They were going to miss him. After all, they were all like a big family, and Jonah always seemed like their big brother. With him gone, things were sure to be different. Shannon walked up to Freddie and nudged him in the shoulder, smiling kindly at him.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" She asked. Freddie nodded and sat down, watching the door closely. He couldn't deny how happy he was for Jonah, and he surely wasn't going to deny it anytime soon.

"Yeah it does, and I know his family's going to be thrilled." He knew Jonah would figure something out to say to them, and perhaps they'd be more excited about having him back that they wouldn't focus on where he'd been all this time. Now all they had to do was wait for Fluffy's new owner to show up. Two promised adoptions and one great transformation made this a great day for everybody. Things were starting to look up.

* * *

Jonah finally is human again. I don't know if I ever put this chapter out or not, I can't remember, but either way we are nearing the point where the nostalgia of the old chapters end and the continuation of the story begins. So far I'm on the 25th chapter, and the story is nearing its end as far as writing it goes. Posting it's got a ways, but I guarantee you, it WILL keep you on the edge of your seat, beginning with the next chapter. You'll never guess what happens, but I will tell you that two of our beloved pooches _may_ be considered for adoption. Prepare for the _first_ INTENSE chapter of the story, and by first, I mean there will be others. I picked the right story to come back with *grins* (Okay technically I came back with FORBIDDEN TRUTH, but that was more to get past the mental trauma that I went through that kept me from writing, and to feel comfortable with nothing holding me back any longer.) God Freedom feels good, and it smells of Chapter 11, coming to you fairly soon. ENJOY.


	11. Fiery Rescue

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

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Chapter 11 (A Fiery Rescue)

A few hours later, Sam arrived home early from school and was greeted by all the dogs and cats. She instantly noticed that three, including Fluffy, were gone. She knew Fluffy's owner must have come by, but Jock and Nikki were not scheduled to be adopted. She frowned and looked over to see the dog-sitter walking into the room. "Hi Alicia, how are you? Where did Jock and Nikki go?"

"I'm doing all right, and Jock was adopted by somebody who saw him playing around in the back yard." Sam smiled and closed her eyes, she was happy to hear the good news. "Oh and you'll never believe who came by!"

"Who?"

"Jonah Brown!" Sam's eyes grew wide and her heart pulsated from the shock, he was alive. This was fantastic news, Valerie would definitely enjoy hearing that. But, what was he doing on the farm? "He must have been trying to find his way home and this was where he stopped to ask for directions. He saw Nikki and immediately fell in love with the cat!"

"So, he adopted Nikki then?"

"Yes. Um…I let him have the cat for free, if that was okay." Sam shrugged as she moved towards the couch. She didn't have a problem with that, considering how long Jonah had been missing for.

"Yeah that's fine. The fact that he's okay is all that matters. I know Valerie will be really glad to see him." She had been friendly with him before he disappeared and wanted to go out with him, considering how hard she had fallen for him. When he vanished, it was almost like a part of her died. Sam now understood how Valerie felt all that time, considering her feelings for Freddie. It was good that Jonah returned, and just in time, because Jock was the one that really helped Valerie and now he was adopted.

"I know someone that's going to be _very_ happy now," Shannon said with a snicker. Freddie nodded and sat next to Sam, he often wondered if she would be happy when he returned to normal, as Valerie was sure to be for Jonah. He didn't know if there was a chance that she'd go right back to tormenting her, but he had a very hard time believing she would do that. Sam picked Freddie up and cuddled him closely, an act that Shannon found very cute and romantic. "I'm going to take this moment and just say this: Aww, how cute!" Freddie rolled his eyes and licked Sam's chin.

"Shut up Shannon." Shannon laughed as Freddie continued licking Sam's face. "I'm letting her know I'm happy to see her. It's what dogs do when their owners return home, right?"

"Sure, whatever you say Freddie." Sam giggled as Freddie continued to lick her face for the next few seconds. Isis rolled her eyes and shook her head as Sam rubbed Freddie's head and set him down.

"Amato, you're so sweet," Sam said with a smile. Shannon walked over to Freddie and frowned, seeing how much fun Sam and Freddie had reminded her that when Freddie returned to human form, that would probably end and turn awkward.

"So what do you think her reaction will be when she learns you've been a dog all this time?"

"I don't know, Shannon…" He didn't know if he was really going to tell her or not, she might find it incredibly disturbing. Jonah probably wasn't going to tell Valerie, so he didn't see why he should tell Sam. She might think it was weird that he'd been living with her for however long it would be. Either that, or she'd laugh at him and throw something at him.

"She'd probably laugh at the thought of it, to be honest." Sam stood up and looked around, Sugar was gone as well. She remembered that Valerie was getting out of school earlier than she was and asked to take Sugar out for a walk, so she must have come by already. Sassy was out on the back porch, she wanted to go for a walk with Sugar, but Valerie had only one leash at the time, so there really wasn't a choice.

"Hopefully she'll be back soon, she's been gone for nearly an hour," Sassy said with worry. She spotted something thick and dark in the distance and quickly jumped up, it was smoke. A hint of despair shot through her as she imagined all the firefighters possibly fighting the flame she couldn't fight, but this one was different. There was something about that smoke, something that seemed to be calling out to her, beckoning her.

"Hey Sassy, you seem lonely," Shannon said as she walked outside. She wanted to give her some companionship, but Sassy seemed a bit distracted by something. Sassy felt something inside of her, aching, it was pure turmoil.

"Something's wrong…" She always had a seemingly telepathic connection with Sugar, and this connection was telling her that something was wrong with her. Shannon raised an eyebrow as Sam moved out to start her farm work, making her way into the chicken coop. Thinking quickly, so sure of herself, she ran back inside, with Shannon following quickly behind.

"What's going on?" Freddie asked quickly. Shannon shrugged as Sassy barked quickly.

"Sugar's in trouble, I can feel it! We need to find her!" The pain inside of her was burning, Sugar had to be around that smoke that Sassy had seen. Isis growled and quickly sniffed around the dog bed where Sugar had slept, catching her scent.

"Okay, let's move!" Isis shouted. The others could feel the fear and trouble as well, they knew something bad had to be going on. "Freddie, Sassy, let's go! Lunch, you stay here!" Shannon knew that was directed towards her, _lunch_ actually became her nickname. She hated it, but at the same time, loved it. She nodded as the three dogs quickly bolted through the front doggie door, not even caring to alert Sam that they were leaving. Isis led the way, sniffing in the air and howling, heading towards wherever she could smell Sugar's scent.

"What do you think's wrong?" Freddie asked with urgency. He looked in the direction they were running and his eyes grew wide, there was a large pillar of smoke rising into the air. They could hear sirens blaring from what seemed to be all around. "Crap, is she in there?" The three neared the smoldering building and saw that it was a medium sized, one-story home. Sassy knew that no matter how small a building was, it was still a hassle when it came to fire.

"She's in there, I can feel it," Sassy whined. Fear shot through her when they spotted a man exiting the house with a small infant. Freddie recognized him as Valerie's father, Mr. Williams. He looked like he was positive that everybody was out of the building. Isis sniffed and caught a very familiar scent, Sugar was in there but not alone, Valerie was in there too.

"Valerie's in there!" Isis screamed out. Freddie's eyes widened and Sassy groaned in frustration. She could hear what sounded like a very faint, distressed howl coming from inside the blazing inferno. This fire was almost exactly identical to the one her father perished in, and now two very important people to her were still inside. Not only that, she recognized the fireman as Valerie's father, it would be horrible if they couldn't rescue Valerie from the fire he was overseeing the control of.

"Is that everyone?" A man asked as the paramedics took the baby away. Freddie looked over and spotted his father nearby, he smiled with pride, as he often did whenever he saw his dad. His father was a high ranking police officer, and a good one at that. He always took his job very seriously.

"Yes sir, that's everyone." Isis walked over to John, Freddie's dad, and stood strong. She wanted to feel like a police dog, and the fact that he was there, meant she could act like one and hope he saw some potential in her. John raised his eyebrow and glanced at her, wondering where she came from. A girl walked up to John, she seemed to be grieving, she was one of the girls that had been inside the house.

"That's everybody," The girl said with a positive nod. Isis didn't like the looks of her, there was just something untrustworthy about her. "My parents left, I thought they took my baby brother with them…my friends were visiting and then a fire started somehow."

"That's okay, we'll do our best to put the bla-" Just then, Sassy bit into Brad William's uniform and tugged it once, barking frantically. Brad raised an eyebrow and looked down, surprised to see the dog. "What the hell? Where did you come from?" She looked a lot like the picture of the firedog that rested in the station's kitchen. That dog was before his time, but he knew of the dog's legacy. He often wondered why the station had given up the pup who had been birthed from him, that pup would surely have lived up to a great name. Now that this dog showed up at such a time, and looked almost exactly like that dog, it was the strangest thing.

"I know you can't hear me, but there are people in there still!" Sassy barked out as she quickly turned around and bolted into the fiery blaze. Brad shouted and quickly ran after her. Isis watched the girl and narrowed her eyes when she saw the unpleasant expression on her face. She growled and John followed her gaze to the girl, perhaps there was reason to be suspicious of her.

"Hey animals shouldn't be in here!" Sassy sniffed the air and barked, then Brad was aware. His expression grew firm and his lips formed a frown. "There's still someone in here, isn't there, girl? Lead the way, I'm right behind you." Sassy could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins. This was her moment, her destiny, nothing would get into her way. She barked and leapt over falling beams and dodged flaming objects, listening to make sure her fireman was right behind her.

"Trust me, I'll get you there in no time."

"Keep going girl!" Brad had his axe beside him to chop through any debris that blocked his path, he intended to stay close to this dog, but she was pretty damn fast. Sugar continued howling from where she was at, but her howling was starting to become weaker.

"Sugar, if you can hear me, keep howling!" Her howls stopped suddenly, and she quickly called out, her voice weakened and weary.

"Sassy? Sassy, we're in the hallway closet! I don't know how much longer Valerie can take the smoke, I'm trying to keep her safe, but I'm losing it. It was those mean girls, they locked us in here!" Sassy growled and bolted to the left, knowing that was where her voice was coming from.

"Don't talk, save your energy and keep Valerie safe! I'm almost there!" As she entered the hallway, she heard a loud crash. She glanced back and gasped, some of the ceiling from the doorway had fallen down and landed on Brad. "No!"

"Sassy, what's wrong? Help…"

"It's okay, don't worry!" Tears came to her eyes, this was almost exactly how her father went down. Brad grunted and tried to push the debris off of him, but he was lying face down, and the debris was a large, somewhat round piece of roof about the same size as his upper back.

"Go out and get help, girl," Brad groaned painfully. He knew if he couldn't get this thing off, he wouldn't make it much longer. He also was well aware that he was losing oxygen, and fast. He didn't want to die here, he had to get home for dinner. His daughter was making some special dessert she'd created, he wanted to try it. "I fear I may not make it to try Valerie's new meal."

"Don't you _dare_ give up! I'm not letting you do that!" Sassy ran over to him and started inspecting the chunk on him and growled, it seemed heavy, but she could manage to push it. "If you give up and die here, then Valerie won't even get to make that food!" Sassy quickly began trying to push the debris off of him with her head, but it was barely budging. "Damn it!"

"Please, go now! Get the other firefighters." If she didn't, the firemen wouldn't notice he was missing for at least another five minutes. He was the only one of the firemen that had been instructed to go inside that was still prepared to go back in.

"No, there's not enough time." Brad clenched his teeth together and looked up to see the wall nearby starting to crack, it was going to collapse. If it did, they were both dead. Sassy saw this as well, and she was _not_ going down without a fight.

"Come on girl, we need to get this wood off of me!" Sassy gasped and her ears perked up. Wood, that's what was on top of him. She looked at the axe, then at the chunk on top of Brad, half of it was safely off of him. If she could get that half separated from the part on him, he should be able to use his strength to get up. Thinking fast, she quickly grabbed the axe with her teeth and lifted it in the air. Brad grunted and closed his eyes, seeing what she was about to do. She seemed experienced, like this was in her blood. "You're Rex's daughter, aren't you?" Sassy gasped and her eyes widened, beaming with pride at the mention of her father's name. "You are that pup…come on girl, get me out of this. I know you can."

"He has faith, he sees my potential…" Tears came to her eyes as she tightened her grip around the arm of the axe and brought it down swiftly against the debris, slicing it in half and managing to avoid cutting Brad. Brad grunted loudly and shook the remaining debris off and slowly pushed himself up. Sassy smirked and looked over as the cracking wall started falling, she gasped and her eyes widened, she wouldn't get away in time. "No!"

"Watch out, girl!" Brad quickly grabbed her and leapt out of the way, covering his mouth with his arm and narrowly dodging the falling wall. Sassy winced as the wall crashed to the ground. They knew they needed to hurry now. She had come that close to death, but she wasn't fazed by it at all. She loved it, she loved the thrill of it. Quickly thinking, she called out to Sugar to make sure she was still okay.

"Sugar! Are you okay?"

"Valerie's not looking so hot, please hurry!" Sugar screamed out. Sassy nodded as Brad looked down the hallway, it looked like they wouldn't be able to get through with all the debris.

"The hallway's blocked!"

"Try going through the bathroom! It's got doors leading from the living room and the hallway right next to the hall closet!" Sassy nodded and backtracked through the living room, Brad followed close behind. She noticed the bathroom door cracked open, so she merely ran through it. Soon she was at the door leading out into the hallway, they managed to make it around the debris.

"Where are you leading us, girl?" Brad asked as he stepped into the hallway. He was eager to get out of there, but he wouldn't stop until they found whatever Sassy was looking for. Her determination at least made him comfortable that she knew where she was going. Sassy found the hall closet and quickly began pawing at it and barking to let Brad know they were in there.

"Come here, they're here! Please be okay, Sugar…"

"Someone's in there?" Brad could hear Sugar's barks now, they were very strained and very weak. He needed to hurry. He tried to open the door, but found it to be locked, so he gripped his axe and began chopping down the door. After he finally got it off the hinges, it was then that he noticed Valerie and Sugar, both had been safe from the fire, but not from the smoke. "Valerie? Oh my god, Valerie!" She was out cold. He noticed that Sugar had been taking care of her, especially since the dog didn't seem to want to leave his daughter's side. Tears were in Brad's eyes as he picked up his daughter, he wanted to know how she got locked in that closet and why. Now, he felt as though he were out for blood. He covered Valerie's mouth with a rag and looked over to Sassy. "You know what to do, you got us in here, now get us out!"

"Move Sassy, hurry!" Sugar hacked and tried to hold her breath, she hated fire and trusted her friend with her life. Sassy nodded and bolted through the house, followed closely by the others. Brad's teeth were clenched tightly and he was gripping Valerie, praying that she would be safe. He was pissed, those girls said nobody was left in there. They lied to him and put his own daughter in jeopardy.

"We're almost out!" Sassy exclaimed, overjoyed. This was the life, her life, and she didn't want to miss any more of it. Soon, they burst through the door and everybody watched them with concern. Sam was there too, she had turned on the news and noticed Isis and Amato standing next to Mr. Benson, as well as hearing the reporters say that a Dalmatian led a firefighter back into the blaze. Her eyes grew wide when she saw Valerie being cradled in her father's arms.

"Oh my god, Valerie!" Sam exclaimed as she ran over to her. Sassy bolted past the group and started shouting at Isis. John watched the exchange, hearing only barks, but seeing how they seemed to be communicating frantic news.

"Isis! That girl, Kendal, she left Valerie in the closet and locked the door! She should have the key!" The lock required a skeleton key, so it wasn't hard to prove what she did. "She left them in there to die!" Isis turned to Kendal and growled. John narrowed his eyes and looked over at the nervous girl, she was shaking fearfully, worried that they knew what happened with Valerie.

"Ma'am, did you know that girl was there?" John asked as he slowly walked to her. Isis stayed close by his side. Kendal chuckled nervously and shook her head.

"Um, no sir I did not. I don't know what she was doing in there," Kendal responded firmly, but John was not convinced. The paramedics placed Valerie on a stretcher and put an oxygen mask over her face. Sugar continued to stay by her side, trying to make sure she was okay. Brad smiled vaguely at the sight and walked over to John.

"I found her locked up in the hallway closet," he stated while crossing his arms. Kendal swallowed and Sam gasped, not believing that someone would lock Valerie up in a burning house. "The closet had a lock where a skeleton key was required to lock it tight." Kendal was sweating now, she had to throw away the key. It was in her pocket. Isis watched Kendal start digging in her side pocket. John looked over, rubbing his chin, and caught the act as well.

"Ma'am, perhaps you can tell me _how_ that girl became locked in a closet?" John asked while turning fully towards her. Hopefully she would have a good explanation, otherwise he'd have to take her down to the station. "Do you realize the ramifications of this? You are old enough to be tried for attempted murder." Kendal sighed and quickly turned around, bolting across the yard, she wasn't going to say anything incriminating if they couldn't catch her. "Damn it!" Isis whined and looked at John, he could see the desire to act in her eyes and smirked. "Go get her girl." Isis knew a good guard dog never charged without order, be it verbal or physical. He gave her the order and she took off towards Kendal, running faster than John could.

"Shit!" Kendal screamed out as she pulled the key from her pocket. Isis quickly leapt up and bit her arm, pulling her down to the ground. She screamed out and John slowly walked up to her, crossing his arms. Isis loved the feeling she got, the wind running through the air and the feeling of bringing down the criminal was perhaps the most pleasurable feeling she had in the longest time. "Ow! Let go of me you stupid mutt!"

"Good dog." Isis smirked triumphantly as John quickly pulled Kendal up and placed her hands behind her back. "I didn't want to have to do this, but since you ran off, you can't be trusted." She sighed as he placed his handcuffs around her wrist. Isis sniffed the ground and started barking when she found the key. John looked over and smiled. "Good girl, I saw it as well. That's a keen eye you have. Now…" He turned his attention to Kendal and frowned. "Care to explain to me now?" Kendal knew it was bad for her, she was too afraid to lie now, the truth was the only thing she could use.

"Fine, I locked her in the closet. She was walking by and my friends and I decided to mess with her a bit for what she did to Freddie."

"That was a long time ago, you understand that, right?" It had to have been at least a year and a half since Freddie and Valerie even dated, maybe two years. If people were still upset with Valerie now, then that was a very big problem. Though, there was nothing he could do about the bullying, police didn't focus on that too often, until it became violent, like this.

"Yeah well, I didn't care. We locked her in the closet, but the fire began on its own." John frowned and remembered one of the firemen talking about how they found a candle lying on the floor in the bedroom, if anything, that's how the fire began.

"Well you will have plenty of time to explain yourself down at the station." Kendal moaned as John began reading her rights. Her friends all frowned from the curb and lowered their heads, they knew they were going to be arrested too, judging by the officers walking towards them, but they weren't stupid enough to run.

Valerie slowly opened her eyes and saw Brad and Sam looking at her with great concern. She coughed into the mask and tried to smile. "D-Dad, you found me?" Brad smiled at her and brushed her hair from her face and kissed her forehead, he was glad she was safe. It looked like she would only have minor burns, if any. Valerie felt Sugar licking her hand and smiled a little more. Brad looked down at the dog and sighed with relief. "Sugar…she stayed with me and comforted me. She made me feel safe."

"She seems like a very good and loyal dog."

"She is. She's a great dog. How did you find me, daddy?" Brad looked over as Sassy walked over, concern clear in her eyes. She barked once and Valerie closed her eyes, sighing with contentment. "That's Sassy, isn't it? She and Sugar are always together."

"You don't say? She's the one that knew you were there, I think Sugar here was calling out to her. I…I might not have found you in time if it wasn't for her…" That thought scared the living hell out of him. To think, he was that close to losing his daughter.

"I think Sam got her from a fireman." Sam nodded and smiled as Brad rubbed Sassy's head, he was indebted to this dog. "Station 49, I think."

"That's my station…" He smirked and looked at Sassy, his guess had been right. Sassy must have been the pup to Rex the firedog. "So she does have some firedog in her. We really could use her down at the station.

"Yeah, but she and Sugar have to stay together, they're attached to one another." Sassy's ears perked up and Sugar looked over with a smile, it looked like Sassy would finally see her dream come true.

"Well Sassy saved my life and yours, and it seems Sugar stayed with you through everything. I'd say we're indebted to them." Brad smirked as he placed his helmet on Sassy's head. Sassy yipped happily and Sugar crossed her claws together. "Sam, are these two up for adoption?"

"Y-Yes of course!" Sam responded in shock. She couldn't believe it, Sassy and Sugar had the most trouble being adopted and had been on the farm longer than some of the others. Now, they were finally going to be adopted. She couldn't be happier. Isis grinned and Freddie nearly did a backflip.

"Now I still have a few more things to do, but I'll be over in a few hours to fill out any necessary forms and to bring these two home."

"Okay! I'll have mom and dad get them both ready for adoption!" It was the best thing to do, since Sam didn't want to leave Valerie's side for a second. After such a horrible ordeal, she needed to stay with her friend. "I'm going to call them up right now and have them pick up my dogs, I don't want to leave Valerie right now." She took Valerie's hand and squeezed it softly, earning a smile from her friend.

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There it is, I hope you've enjoyed the chapter.


	12. Jonah's Desire

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

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Chapter 12 (Jonah's Desire)

A week later, Valerie had been out of the hospital for a couple days and Jonah decided to finally ask her out. He hadn't done it yet, but he was going to. He also wanted to apologize to Sam for the way he had treated her. After all, he knew full well the troubles she had because of him. He didn't know how he would apologize to her, considering he wasn't supposed to know she lived on a farm. However, maybe if he showed her it was fine that she did and she wouldn't be made fun of, she could tell the majority of her friends without fear of it. Also, he really did want to keep spending some time with Freddie. During his days as a dog, he made some good friends on that farm, and when Freddie came around, the two became good friends. Of course, Jonah couldn't tell Sam, since she wouldn't believe him _and_ she might start feeling weird about it.

Jonah looked at his new cat and smiled, he adored the kitten. It was a pity he couldn't hear Nikki at all, but that was fine, since the cat could use body language and other things to express what it wanted. After so long as an animal, he learned about how animals used their body to express things. Nikki was currently curled up on the couch, it felt great to be in a home of his own. Jonah slowly petted Nikki and leaned back in the sofa. Nikki lifted his head up and looked toward his new owner.

"You know Nikki, I'm fixing to ask Valerie out…do you think I should?" Nikki lifted his head up and mewed his approval. After all, during the time Jonah was a dog, they talked quite a bit about the possibility of Jonah asking Valerie out. Besides, he loved her so much. Nikki could remember a time when he and Jonah were walking with Valerie and Rodney the Rip-off had been hitting on her, Jonah quickly bit Rodney and sent the guy running. The thing was, Valerie kept asking him to leave her alone, and Rodney wasn't going to quit. Nikki hopped onto Jonah's lap and sat down, he wanted to go with Jonah, and he knew the guy was fixing to leave anyway. Jonah blinked and stared down at his cat, smiling in the process. "You want to come with me? Then let's go."

He picked Nikki up and started to walk outside. His moved toward the door and turned when he saw his little sister running toward him from the next room. "Brother!" She shouted. Jonah smiled as the young girl quickly hugged his legs. "Where are you going, brother? Will you come back?" Of course, the entire family was thrilled when he returned. They were crying so much and when he returned, they didn't want to let him out of their sight.

"Don't worry Olivia, I'll be back." The little girl was only twelve years old. It was a pity that Jonah had to miss almost a whole year of her life, but he wouldn't be doing that again. Olivia squeezed his legs and shook her head, tears running down her face. To her, it was like she only _just_ got her favorite relative back and she was afraid of losing him again.

"I don't want to let you go!" Jonah smiled softly as his little sister gently took Nikki from his hands. "I want to go with you, and if you're taking Nikki, then I want to hold him!" The entire family grew to love the little cat, especially when Jonah returned with it. For some reason, they thought Nikki was responsible for keeping him alive. Jonah chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, he wasn't sure exactly if he should take his little sister along or not. Considering everything, she _was_ still very afraid of being without him and sure both of them wanted to make up for lost time.

"I don't see why not…though I am asking Valerie out." Olivia grinned at the mention of Valerie's name. She'd met the girl several times and she really liked her. Jonah smiled and opened the door, he had no problem with her coming along to see Valerie. He knew that at this hour, Valerie was most likely with Sam, so he could get both things that he needed to get done dealt with. Olivia followed Jonah out the door and cradled Nikki carefully in her arms. The little cat was very comfortable in the position he was.

"Hooray, we're going to see Valerie!" Jonah laughed once and nodded as he and Olivia walked down the street. As they walked, Jonah noticed that Olivia kept glancing at him. After some amount of time, she spoke up on some of her concerns. "Jonah, is there really a connection between you and Nikki?" She noticed that the cat was almost always with Jonah, it was like they had a very strong bond with each other. Jonah raised his eyebrow as Olivia's fingers slowly moved down the cat's spine. "I mean like…you would have had to know Nikki longer than what you told us…right?"

"Well if I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Sure I would!" Jonah chucked and closed his eyes, he wondered just how badly Olivia would laugh if he told her what had happened. He crossed his arms and slowly exhaled. Olivia gave him a serious look and cleared her throat. "Tell me Brother, what have you been up to all this time?"

"Okay, if you must know…I've been a dog." Olivia raised her eyebrows and Nikki glanced over at Jonah with some concern. "You remember Raven Hart?" She nodded as she and Jonah stopped before crossing the street. "She went to a magic shop and got this weird thing…hoping I would like her in return…then it didn't work and I turned into a Doberman."

"Wow…" Olivia didn't laugh at all, but it was only because she partly believed the story. It wasn't long ago when she saw Raven last, and it was when that girl turned from a dog that she happened to be watching.

"I've lived under the care of Sam Puckett, with several other dogs and cats…Nikki was one of them and we became friends." Olivia smiled and rubbed her fingers through Nikki's fur once more.

"I believe your story." Jonah pushed his hands into his pocket as the two continued their walk. He was very confused as to why Olivia would even believe such a thing. She smiled and looked to her brother, she wanted to tell him what she had seen. "Did you know…a few months ago I saw Raven change from a dog into a human!" Jonah's eyes widened briefly and Olivia hummed with glee. "If she was a dog, then I believe it when you say that you had turned into one!"

"I see…" He chuckled lightly and slowly shook his head, surprised that it wasn't just because of her imagination that she believed him.

"So does that mean you can understand what Nikki says?" Jonah frowned and slowly shook his head.

"No, but I can understand other dogs and cats. It's complicated." Olivia nodded and Nikki meowed. She looked to him and smiled, she loved cats. After some more walking, they finally came up to Sam's farm. Olivia was in awe of it, especially since she didn't know Sam lived on a farm. "Now Olivia, don't scare her, she's not too fond of people knowing about her life." Olivia nodded as Jonah walked up to a fence. He saw a bunch of dogs running around, so he called out to them. "Hey Shadow! Isis! Come here a moment. Two of the dogs broke apart and hurried over to the side of the fence, they were shocked to see Jonah here. After all, he knew Sam wasn't going to be fond of this surprise visit.

"Why are you here? Do you want to give Sam a heart attack?" Isis barked. To Olivia, it was just a few barks, but to Jonah, it was the start of a conversation.

"I have to apologize to Sam for what I've done to her in the past, and I want to ask Valerie on a date."

"You couldn't _wait_ until you saw the girls at school?" Jonah chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, he hadn't thought of that. He just wanted to do what he needed as soon as he could. Isis smirked and tilted her head to the side. "I guess you just missed us too much." Jonah laughed and gripped the wooden fence with his hands.

"Yeah, I missed you too much, just couldn't stay away. Actually, Nikki was _begging_ to come back to the farm."

"Hey!" Nikki shouted out. He quickly bounded out of Olivia's arms and walked over to Jonah. "I should scratch you for that." Jonah blinked and looked over at Shadow, he was thinking of asking the dog for some advice. As strange as that sounds, there really wasn't a thing off about it. Nikki looked over at Shadow and grinned. "Hey, how's Freddie doing?"

"Oh Freddie is enjoying it here, that's for sure," Shadow said with a small smile. "Actually, he and Scooter are really getting along."

"Oh that's nice." Nikki hopped up to the top of the fence and then up onto Jonah's shoulder. He smiled and looked toward Isis and Shadow. "Life for me is great now. Jonah's family is _awesome_, and that girl over there is his little sister, she's very sweet." He flicked his tail back and pointed to Olivia. The two dogs smiled and nodded toward her. "Anyway Jonah, let's go ahead and talk to Valerie and Sam now!"

"They're right inside the house. Good luck Jonah."

"Thanks." Jonah smiled and walked over to his sister, she was looking at him with arched eyebrows. "What? You look as though it's completely weird to talk to animals." Well, she did it herself, so it shouldn't be weird for her. She merely smiled and shook her head as Nikki bounded off of Jonah and into Olivia's arms.

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I've collided JDP and SDP, it was confusing but I did it. Hope some decide to read it, cause I don't really have that much faith in it right now. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, review if you care to, next will be up soon. I've finished writing the story, 26 chapters total the entirety of DOG DAYS.


	13. His Second Chance

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 13 (His Second Chance)

The two made their way to the front door and knocked. Jonah was thinking hard on what he was say, but was still completely nervous. He knew he couldn't tell Valerie and Sam that he'd been a dog, it would freak them out entirely. Hell, he never even thought how to explain to his parents about why he was gone so long, then again, they never asked. They were just thrilled he was back.

The door opened and Sam stepped outside, her eyes widened when she saw Jonah. She hadn't been expecting him at all, especially not when she was wearing her dirty clothes. Valerie stepped behind her and gasped when she spotted him. She knew he was alive, but never fathomed he'd show up at Sam's door. They were too stunned to say a thing.

"Hey Sam, Valerie, how are you guys doing?" Jonah asked with a small smile. He noticed Valerie was looking great as usual, considering her ordeal the week before. The girls involved in that were in a world of trouble, and charges had been pressed. Jonah looked at the fence and smiled, seeing both Shadow and Isis watching him. "This is a great place you have here, Sam." She swallowed nervously and began to shake, wondering if he was going to make a joke about the place.

"What are you doing here Jonah, how did you find this place?" Sam asked with narrow eyes. It was a stupid question, considering he found it when he adopted Nikki, but at that time he couldn't have known she lived here.

"I adopted Nikki, I love that little guy. Not only that, but your parents were mentioned, so I knew you lived here." He drew a sharp breath and pushed his hands into his pockets, his heart was pounding with fear. He really didn't want anything bad to happen and he wanted to be forgiven for his past. Though he knew he didn't need to feel so guilty anymore, he still felt that he had a huge weight still placed upon his shoulders. "Anyway, I'm not here for anything bad, I just wanted to say something to you."

"Okay…" Sam crossed her arms as Jonah closed his eyes, he really hadn't practiced this at all. He thought about how it could go, but as for this moment, he had no plan. Some planning should have gone into this, he was sure of it. "What do you have to say to me? I'll listen…" She really didn't want to see him, but it wasn't because she hated him. She liked him, he wasn't a bad person at all, but he still reminded her of the guys who seemingly always picked Carly over her. She was never noticed. "I'm surprised you didn't go crawling toward Carly…" Jonah winced and Valerie looked warily at Sam.

"Ouch. That hurt." Jonah took a deep breath and sighed. "I deserved that." He slowly opened his eyes and looked directly into Sam's eyes. "But you are more important to me than she is. No offense to her, she is a good person, but you are the one that I hurt." Sam's eyes widened, she'd never heard anything like this before. She was more important than Carly? Never. It was unheard of. It almost felt good to hear.

"Go on."

"I was an idiot. All this time, I've had the opportunity to find myself, to think, to see how much I hurt other people. I know I don't deserve anything from you, and I don't expect anything. I am aware that nothing I can say could take back what was done, but if at all I can ease the pain, I would do so in a heartbeat. I know how much I hurt you, and I am sorry. I am truly sorry."

"Okay…" She could see how genuine he was, his eyes told his true feelings. He was truly remorseful, it was as though he'd been living with this for so long. "So, what are you here for, other than that?" She wasn't sure how to respond to his apology, she forgave him already in her heart and mind, but she still had some hurt inside. "You know you hurt me a lot more than just cheating on me…or trying to. You made me realize how pale I am in comparison to Carly, you made me know how as long as Carly is my friend, I will _never_ get any guy to like me."

"I know, and I don't know how I can ever make up for that. I know you will find that someone, though. Believe me, you have many years ahead of you and you truly are an amazing, attractive girl. Believe me when I say this, you could have men piling up at your feet." He smiled kindly and Sam's cheeks grew red. She saw Jonah look at Valerie and noted the look in his eyes, then stepped back, figuring he'd want to talk to her.

"I-I don't know what to say. Thank you, I mean…I forgive you." She quickly ran inside, trying to overcome the shock. Valerie chuckled lightly and stepped forward, she felt very small and very warm in his presence.

"So, where have you been all this time, Jonah?" Valerie asked, her voice cracking just a little.

"It's a very long story, and I really don't know how to explain it to anybody." He chuckled nervously as Valerie tangled her fingers nervously. Jesus, was acting like a timid little schoolgirl, she hated it. Yet after eight months, she felt she earned it. "I've wanted to do this for so long, Valerie…"

"Do what?"

"I just kept asking myself, do I deserve this? Do I deserve another chance? What I did was wrong, but I learned that I could either let it rule me, or learn from it and move on, never to commit the crime again. "

"Well that's good of you." She looked to the side and put her thumbs into her pockets, fingering the entrance subtly. She had no idea what he was getting to, and she was making her insanely nervous.

"When we met, we clicked and became good friends. There was a part of you that I've always liked, and over time, it just grew stronger. What can I say other than I had become angry when people started treating you the way they treated _me_, and I wanted to be there for you. I finally summed up the courage to ask you out, but that's when everything that could go wrong went wrong."

"You disappeared. You were going to ask me out?" Jonah slowly nodded his head as she took a deep breath. This was like a dream to her, she always wanted to go on a date with him, that's why she crashed when he just vanished. Jonah took her hands in his and she began to blush furiously. Sam was watching and grinning from behind, this was a proud moment.

"Yes. I know I won't do what I did to Sam to anybody else. I have no clue what was going through my head, I hurt her and I shouldn't have. If you will go out with me, I promise with all my heart to protect you, to never hurt you. I just want you to give me that chance, because I know you are the one that I want-"

"You don't need to say anymore." She smiled lightly and gave him a hug, she was thrilled, ecstatic, and would be more than willing to give him a chance. "I would be glad to. I trust you not to hurt me, _but_, if you ever do, then you're going to get something from me that's much, _much_ worse than what Sam did." Sam chuckled and smirked as she walked up and patted Jonah on the back.

"I promise to help her with whatever that thing will be," Sam replied in a sharp, daring voice. Jonah closed his eyes and chuckled, shaking his head. He believed the girls would never need to do such a thing.

"Believe me, my words are true." He was done beating himself up over what he did. He was ready to walk on. He never thought anything would work for him again, but he knew that he could change, and in away it was Nikki that helped him to realize it so long ago. He was indebted to that cat in more ways than one. "Valerie. What are you doing Saturday?"

"Well, I was planning to help Sam out on the farm, since I really don't have anything to do." Jonah smirked and tilted his head to the right a bit.

"What if I gave you something to do?" Valerie knew what this meant and quickly looked at Sam, almost pleading her friend. Sam laughed and nodded her head, she really didn't worry about whether or not Valerie went out. She could handle the farm just fine on her own. Valerie giggled and looked at Jonah with overjoyed emotions trailing through her blood.

"Then I'm definitely free!"

"Good. So, would you like to go to the park with me? I could pick you up either here or at your house."

"Great! Pick me up here! I still want to try and help Sam out with chores." In truth, Sam would most likely want to help her get ready for her date with Jonah. Jonah was now starting to become a bit more nervous, especially considering he had to start worrying about the date being a perfect one.

"I can get you around…four, is that okay?" Valerie nodded and quickly kissed Jonah's cheek, causing him to blush. He placed his hand to his face as Valerie giggled. Sam rolled her eyebrows and slowly shook her head, now she felt her friends were acting a bit too cliché. Valerie quickly moved over to Sam and started jumping up and down with glee. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how did you two become friends?" The girls stopped their celebration and looked over to Jonah, they hadn't really ever told anybody about their friendship, so Jonah was definitely a first. Freddie had moved over to the doorway by now and was interested in learning a bit more about Sam and Valerie's meeting.

"Well, long story short, I felt bad for how I acted to Freddie, which I would _never_ do something like that again! Especially not to you!" Jonah smiled and lifted his hands up, he didn't need to worry about that, he knew better. "Anyway, she came by the house to chew me out and to…laugh…" Sam looked at Valerie apologetically and bit her lip. At that time, she wanted to shove it in Valerie's face that her plan failed and the TV set fell on her. She was just being mean, it was unlike her. Something had changed when she went over though, when she met Valerie at her home. She hadn't had many friends to begin with and was found crying her eyes out. "We kind of connected then."

"Yeah, I realized she just wanted a friend. That was the whole reason she did what she did. So, I decided to be a friend instead of laughing." She smiled at Valerie and gave her a hug, it was fun to remember how they became friends initially. That entire day had been great for them. "We learned so much about each other and just became the best friends, she's even closer to me than Carly…for certain reasons."

"You don't trust Carly much, do you?" Jonah glanced over and spotted Olivia playing with Nikki, so he didn't have to worry about her getting bored. Sam sighed and rubbed her arm, she didn't want to admit that she was scared of Carly's reactions and whatnot. "So your friendship might be a little like mine and Freddie's, one of forgiveness and so forth?"

"You're friends with Freddie?"

"Yeah…" He couldn't explain how they became friends of course, otherwise they wouldn't believe him. "I kind of can't explain how it happened, it just did." Sam smiled sadly and he frowned, he knew exactly what she was going to ask.

"If you're friends with him, do you know where he is?" Sam was very hopeful, even though she was sure he wouldn't know. He wished desperately that he could tell her, he felt bad enough that he couldn't tell her, he felt like he was lying to her. He hated having to tell her he knew nothing, because of out of the entire time he was under her care, he knew how well she loved Freddie. He knew she wanted to be with him so badly, and it would have made her feel so much better knowing he was safe. There should be a law against Madame Fontessa.

"I'm sorry Sam, but you know I've been gone a long time. I don't know anything." Sam bit her lip and looked down, it seemed like she was about to cry, but she didn't. She simply put on the best smile she could muster and looked up at Jonah.

"He'll come around, I'm sure of it. Besides, why would I care if that dork's missing or not?" Jonah frowned as Valerie looked sadly at her friend, they didn't feel Sam should be lying to herself in such a way. It wasn't fair to either herself or Freddie.

"I believe he'll come back soon." Jonah knew what Freddie would end up having to do. Once the 'clouds' were gone and his heart was matched in the right place, then he should be golden. Of course, he also had to do good for the others first. Hopefully he could get everything resolved before eight months. Jonah was only there that long because it took him a while to overcome his feelings of guilt. Sam closed her eyes and sighed, trying to take her mind off of Freddie.

"Jonah, can I say something?" He nodded and she continued slowly, slightly fearful. "Thank you for your apology, your words mean a lot to me. I'm happy for you and Valerie, I think you two will do very well with each other."

"Thank you." Sam smiled and looked at her farm, there was one more thing that was surprising the hell out of her.

"Now that you know my living arrangements, why are you not laughing?" Jonah chuckled and crossed his arms, he felt pleased that he could try and help her ease into the idea of telling her friends about her actual lifestyle without fear.

"Why would I laugh?" Sam raised her eyebrow and Valerie smiled with joy. "I think what your family does is great, I think what you do is fantastic, and I don't believe there's anything wrong with living on a farm! In fact, I'd be envious of your life if I had to say so." Sam smiled slightly, a faint red tint appearing on her cheeks. "I wouldn't laugh at you."

"Thank you. You know, since Amato and Snowflake came here, things have really been looking up. I think Amato may be my good luck charm, if that makes sense." Jonah smiled and looked down at Freddie.

"Yeah well you know something? He may just be. It is getting late, so you I need to get my sister home now. You wouldn't mind if I came and helped out around the farm sometimes, would you?" Sam tapped her chin and shrugged, it seemed Jonah was sincere about the things he said and that he wouldn't laugh at her for living on a farm, so she didn't have any problems. She had to wonder, he was incredibly lenient about it, so how would Carly and Freddie take it? She still didn't think she'd want to risk it. It would hurt too much, and she had to worry about outshining Carly or making her jealous of anything, even though she thought that Carly was much better than she was, in every aspect.

"I don't mind."

"Thank you…" Jonah looked back at his sister and smiled lightly. "I have to get my sister home, and Valerie…" Jonah turned back to Valerie and smiled at her. It seemed whenever he looked at her, everything inside of him just slowed. "I'll see you soon." Valerie grinned as Jonah turned and began walking away, Olivia followed close behind. Everything seemed to be working out just fine for him. He would be sure to come around and hang out with Freddie and the other animals quite often, he didn't want to forget about any of them. And perhaps now, he could help to find more homes for the animals. Since he could still understand Freddie, it all worked out greatly. Things really were looking up.

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I hope you enjoyed it. Now we step into the next chapters that will rock your world. If I'm right, next chapter should be an intense one, oh no wait, nevermind that. Not yet. Though we will get to see another pet adopted, I do believe...hmm. Time will tell


	14. Artistic Perfection

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Two years in the making, as they say, "the show must go on!" Here you are, the continuation begins now!

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Chapter 14 (Artistic Perfection)

Shannon was out back with Powder, watching as Sam and Valerie rode a couple of the horses. Since being there, Shannon and Powder had become immensely close. Close enough, to figure they could be seeing more of each other in the future, perhaps after Shannon managed to return to human form. "So, if you're accepting that you're over Freddie, why are you still a dog?" Powder asked curiously. She was worried that Shannon might be stuck like Jonah was.

"I don't know, I'm not entirely sure what I need to do." Shannon sighed as she watched Sam control the horse and bring it to a stop. She didn't want to admit that she was afraid of never returning human again. In all honesty, she wanted to see her family. Although, she did actually enjoy being a dog, and being able to do all the things that humans could never do. "So, do you believe in that whole 'soul pet' thing that Jonah talked about?"

"I don't know, it might explain why Nikki and Jonah had such an attachment when he first arrived. I guess it's just basic friendship, like Sassy and Sugar. Some just can never be separated." They acknowledged that Jonah and Nikki were not the first to have a bond form, Freddie and Scooter were also becoming close. "I also think maybe a soul pet also refers to someone that is meant for a certain owner to come along. Like how Sugar and Sassy had never been adopted until the right person came along, and the right person was Valerie and her dad."

"That does make sense." Shannon looked around the yard and watched as all the animals ran about. She had ideas about who might make good owners for each individual pet. "Cheeto loves art so much, his match would have to be an artist." Powder nodded and glanced to the right as Freddie walked over to them, he had overheard their conversation.

"It seems like Spencer would make a great match for him," Freddie remarked with a subtle nod. He believed that when an animal met their true owner, something would have to click and the two would just know they were matches. Then again, there were probably also cases where they wouldn't know at first, or even for a while. "I think each animal should go to someone who compliments their personality, and vice versa. Or even, someone who makes them a better person, and vice versa."

"So you think we should get Spencer to adopt Cheeto? I mean, it seems to me that their arty personalities would mix well together?" Freddie thought about that possibility and smiled to himself, he could imagine how inspired Spencer would be having a cat like Cheeto.

"I think it would be a great idea."

"So how would we go about doing that, anyway? It seems like it's really just been luck that's gotten the others adopted."

"We have Jonah, the 'dog whisperer' now." Freddie smirked subtly as Shannon laughed, they would love teasing Jonah about that. Freddie and Shannon had such a brother to sister relationship now that they would most likely be friends after they became humans once again. He at least accepted her as a fellow human being, too bad it was while he was a dog that it happened.

"I guess Jonah could definitely talk people into adopting an animal. Speaking of which, wasn't he just here yesterday?"

"Yeah, and he's supposed to be coming to help the girls out with chores today." Shannon nodded and looked up as Sam and Valerie moved off their horses and started walking into the chicken coop to gather the eggs. "Farming is really a lot of work, I never thought of Sam in that light." Powder smiled and jumped onto a counter where there was a bowl of milk waiting. Sam always made sure to put the cat milk where dogs couldn't reach it.

"Sam wants to be a veterinarian one day," Powder stated as she started lapping up the milk. "Did anyone tell you that?" Freddie shook his head and glanced back at the coop with a frown, he never saw that part of her, he was ashamed.

"Everyone's always been so judgmental of her, never trying to get to know her for _her_. I feel so guilty…"

"Then maybe it was a good thing that brought you here," Cheeto remarked as he bounced into the room. He stopped and stared at Powder with wide eyes, she was drinking the milk he wanted to use for a project. "Powder, no!" Powder lifted her head up in confusion as the orange cat leapt from the floor and skidded onto the counter. He looked mournfully into the near empty bowl and closed his eyes. "Aw man, I was going to use that and create a milky face on the floor!"

"Oh I'm sorry!" Powder exclaimed apologetically. She didn't know and didn't mean to ruin anyone's experiments. "Can I do anything? I'll try to see if we can get you anymore milk!" Cheeto sighed and slowly shook his head, smiling kindly at the snowy cat.

"It's okay, don't worry about it so much. I'll have something else to do once I think of something." The front door opened and the group looked over to see Jonah walking in. "It's Jonah!" At that, the animals all decided to crowd around him. He laughed and started trying to push them back.

"Okay guys, I get it, you're excited to see me," Jonah said with a happy smile. He really did miss them, he was always happy to see them whenever he got the chance. Isis came trotting in after hearing his voice and smiled at him.

"You're still Jock to me," Isis quipped with a smirk. Jonah chuckled nervously and looked outside to see Valerie covered in dirt and hay. He loved a girl who wasn't afraid of a little farm work, and with her personality, she was just perfect for him.

"I was coming to help Sam and Valerie with some of the farm work, but it seems they got started without me. I hope I'm not too late."

"No you're not," Freddie answered. "The girls just got started about twenty minutes ago."

"Okay, that's good then. How have you guys been hanging out, by the way?"

"Not bad at all. We did think of someone who might make a perfect owner for Cheeto!" Cheeto perked his ears up and looked over with excitement, this was the first he'd heard of the possibility for having a home. Jonah smiled and rubbed Cheeto's head, happy to hear the news. "We think Spencer would be great for him. Not only that, but Carly's not afraid of cats, so she wouldn't have a problem with him…"

"True. We all know how Cheeto here loves art, so perhaps he and Spencer would work well together. I think I'll run that by Sam."

"Do you think he would simply adopt me, though?" Cheeto asked with a frown. He liked the thought of Spencer being an artist, but no matter what, no human really seemed to want a cat as messy as he was.

"It's worth a shot." With that, the girls walked in, drinking from water bottles. They surprised Jonah by tapping his shoulder.

"Who are you talking to?" Sam asked with a smirk. Jonah turned around and Valerie quickly hugged him. Jonah chuckled and hugged her back.

"Nobody, but I did have a thought about one of your animals."

"You did?" Jonah nodded and glanced over at Freddie, and as he guessed, Freddie was staring intently at Sam. Who knew he had a thing for a girl in a dirty shirt and torn jeans. Pity Freddie didn't really seem to acknowledge that he actually liked Sam. "What was your thought?" Jonah quickly picked Cheeto up, causing the cat to meow in surprise and squirm for a second before calming down.

"Well Cheeto here, you know how he likes to create messes, right?" Sam laughed and nodded as she tapped the kitten on the nose.

"Yes, he's our little artistic kitty, as I call him." Cheeto playfully batted Sam's finger with his paw and smiled with pride.

"Well I think I know someone who would make a good owner for him." Sam lifted her eyebrows as Cheeto jumped down to the floor and began walking around aimlessly, trying to figure out his next big idea. "Spencer!"

"Spencer? As in Carly's brother?" Valerie asked with uncertainty. She wasn't sure how that would work out, but it was always a possibility. "We could try." Sam swallowed and tried to avoid paling at the suggestion, Carly was already suspicious enough after having seen her in her farm clothes and with animals, she was still just too afraid to let Carly in on anything. Jonah picked up on this fear immediately, knowing that the thought of asking Spencer to adopt Cheeto might be too much. Of course, the orange cat was already starting to despair.

"Sure, we don't want anything to stand in the way of this cute little guy getting adopted, right? What if we didn't have to tell Spencer? What if we just dropped him off and left a note?"

"It would work, but Carly knows my handwriting too much," Sam muttered with a frown. Valerie and Jonah glanced at each other and shrugged, one of them could easily write the note. Although, Carly probably could recognize Valerie's writing, so it would have to be Jonah. "Let's do it, though. I'm all for it, if it means Cheeto can have a loving home!"

Hours later, Sam and Valerie had cleaned up and left Cheeto in a basket near Spencer's door. They knocked and quickly hid around the corner, waiting for Spencer to open it up and see the cat. He did after a minute and looked around, clueless, and was about to shut the door when he heard the mewing.

"What?" Spencer looked down and gasped when he saw Cheeto. "Who are you, little guy?" He lifted Cheeto from the basket and spotted a note that had been underneath him. He grabbed the note and read it. "Please take care of my beloved Cheeto, he is a very loving and kitten in need of a good home which I cannot provide for him. He also greatly appreciates the arts." Spencer blinked and set Cheeto on the ground, watching as the kitten walked in. He always had a soft spot for animals, that was for sure. "So you need a home, huh…" Sam decided now would be a great time to show up, Spencer wouldn't think she dropped off the cat. She rounded the corner and waved.

"Hey Spence, what's cookin'?" Sam asked with a smile.

"Oh hey, someone dropped this cat off. He's cute." Sam looked over and smiled as Cheeto jumped up on the kitchen counter and eyed a sculpture that Spencer was working on. Already, He was feeling inspired.

"Yeah, he does seem like an adorable kitten. He seems interested in that sculpture you're working on there…"

"Oh yeah, I'm trying to find something that works with it, but I just can't." It was a sculpture of a person holding their hand out as if they were carrying an unseen tray. "I'm trying to find something that will look good, and I'm also searching for the right color to use for the clothes. I want something that stands out."

"I see." Sam looked over at the counter and saw a plate of food and a drink sitting on it. "Is that your food there?"

"Yeah, I bored, so I made myself a taco." Sam nodded and looked over to see Cheeto eyeing the spaghetti taco and drink. Her eyes went wide when she realized what was happening next. Cheeto sat on the plate, sending the half eaten taco flying and knocked over the drink, spilling it all over the sculpture. Spencer's jaw fell and his eyes became large and bewildered. Cheeto looked over helplessly, hoping he didn't just ruin his chance at getting adopted. "Oh…my…_god!_"

"Spencer, I'm sure he didn't mean it!" Spencer ran to his sculpture and started circling it, stuttering with confusion and shock. Jonah and Valerie looked into the doorway and swallowed, praying that this wasn't going to end badly. Cheeto's ears drooped and his head fell as Spencer looked over at him.

"You…You…" Fear flew over the kitten, this was what he'd experienced so many times before. He looked up at the statue briefly and frowned. The taco had landed neatly on the palm of the hand, spaghetti and meat sauce landed on the shirt and the green soda splattered the shirt and pants of the sculpture. By now, he'd been rejected so many times that he started thinking maybe he should give up art after all. Spencer then grabbed him and lifted him up in the air, smiling and laughing wildly. "You are the most brilliant cat I've ever seen!" Cheeto's eyes widened as Sam and her friends all sighed with relief. They were confused by what had happened though.

"He spilled stuff all over your sculpture and you think he's 'brilliant'?"

"Yes! I was looking for the perfect touch, and this is _it_!" Spencer pointed at his sculpture and laughed again, excited by the vision that this cat helped to create. "It's perfect advertisement of my spaghetti taco and the clothing will definitely stand out! I love this cat! I am giving him all the milk he could ever want!"

"So basically you're going to spoil him because he gave you inspiration on a sculpture?" Sam chuckled and crossed her arms, unsure of how to react. She was internally happy and grateful that Spencer seemed to adore Cheeto, but she didn't know if she should let on about that fact or not.

"Yes, I want to keep this cat around more often. Besides, it'll be nice to have the company when Carly's not around or you guys are doing iCarly and I got nothing to do." Spencer sat on the couch and let Cheeto rest in his lap, he was pleasantly surprised to see the little cat curling up and relaxing. "He seems pretty mild-mannered too."

"Yeah, maybe he's perfect for you, Spencer." Sam smiled and clasped her hands together. Jonah was right, Cheeto and Spencer matched perfectly. She walked over to the door and brought the basket inside, they had placed some of the important records on Cheeto inside it, so Spencer would know how to treat the kitten. "Here, I think there are more papers in here."

"Okay, just set it down. I want to pet my new cat for a while." Cheeto began purring as Spencer scratched him behind the ear. Spencer's lips curled into a wide grin as he laid his head back on the couch. "I love this cat!" Sam smiled and leaned forward, petting Cheeto and whispering into his ear.

"Enjoy your new home, Cheeto." Cheeto mewed and looked happily at Jonah, his eyes starting to tear up from all the excitement.

"Thank you Jonah," Cheeto stated urgently. Jonah smiled proudly and crossed his arms as Cheeto licked a paw. "Tell Freddie and Shannon that I said thank you as well, I don't know if I'll ever see them again or not, so I just want them to know that I am incredibly happy!" Jonah gave a brief nod and smirked. He knew Cheeto would definitely see Freddie again. After all, iCarly wasn't ending anytime soon.

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Hope you liked this chapter. A bit of the calm before the storm, I must say. Prepare for the most intense moment of this story to come up. It's a three parter...three chapters long. You'll love it, I'm sure.


	15. Shannon's Depression

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

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Chapter 15 (Shannon's Depression)

"So whatever happened to that Rueben kid?" Freddie asked as he and Shannon walked around the barn. Funny he should mention _him. _Shannon shrugged and glanced to the side, she had been thinking about him recently. Everyone knew he still had a slight crush on Sam, but it seemed he was over that. He hadn't actually been hanging around Gibby so often anymore, they had grown distant over time.

"I still see him and talk to him every now and then," Shannon replied almost sadly. Freddie caught her tone and raised a curious eyebrow, he had to know why she seemed so downtrodden when it came to Rueben. She didn't want to talk about him, since he'd been on her mind the entire time. He was the one that made her understand Sam, he was the one that made her jealous of Sam, and it was he who was responsible for her depression. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering, I think you mentioned something about him in your sleep last night." Shannon froze and slowly narrowed her eyes, a beautiful reaction which made Freddie smirk proudly. "So tell me about him."

"No."

"No?"

"I said _no_." Shannon turned around and started walking off, she didn't want Freddie to know a thing about him. Then again, she knew she shouldn't be upset with him over anything, he didn't know much. What he knew was that Rueben was a bit annoying, that was it. She stopped and slowly closed her eyes, she never found him annoying. "You know that little thing he does? Those wacky phrases he comes up with all the time? They're a nervous reaction, when he is so nervous that he can't think, he just says stuff randomly."

"Oh, I didn't know that." Freddie walked up to Shannon, he wondered if he needed to be tender with this subject or not. Shannon frowned and shifted her eyes to the side, staring at a tiny fly that seemed to be hovering over the floor. "I guess it explains why he acted that way on that double date."

"Please don't ever mention that again."

"Bad memories?"

"Yes." If the whole ordeal with Gibby wasn't bad enough, the sight of Rueben actually sitting next to Sam was just horrible. Shannon sighed and sat down, she was thinking there really was no harm in talking to Freddie. What could he say though? "You know, I guess the reason I developed a crush on you at all was just to use you as a tool…"

"Let me guess. Jealousy." Shannon chuckled vainly and nodded her head. She was sick of Rueben always paying Sam every attention and those lovesick puppy eyes. She wanted him, damn it! He never saw, though. He only crushed on Sam and only saw her.

"I guess it's what happens when you're friends and you just fall into that damned trap." Freddie saw where this was going and pawed the ground. He was a bit disheartened, to think that he was always harping on her for being crazed and psycho, but she really was just like any other girl trying to grab the attention of someone she cared about.

"I bet he does see you. You're a nice girl, Shannon. Believe me, I wouldn't just be saying that if I hadn't become good friends with you. I'm just sorry we weren't friends before, you know?"

"Yeah, thanks." She smiled slightly and rubbed against Freddie, a dog's way of hugging. He did make her feel a bit better about herself, just like an older brother. "So what then possessed you to go to that magic shop?"

"I don't know, I guess in my rush and desperation, I just pulled that stunt. Maybe I also sort of thought of you as Rueben for a moment, just trying so hard to get him that I associated you and him together." She felt ashamed about the fact, but there wasn't really much she could do about it. It was in the past now, they needed to focus on the future. "I'm sorry Freddie, I never meant any harm."

"I know you didn't." He was thinking of how he could make her feel better. He had never noticed any hint of sadness in her, she always seemed to hide it. "Why did you never tell him, I mean, what could it hurt?"

"Several things. Remember, he liked Sam?" She knew he didn't talk to sam after that date, he hadn't really done much of anything regarding his choice in women. Freddie couldn't help but wonder what he'd been up to, especially since it seemed clear that he and Shannon had a history together.

"True. So tell me, how has he acted since he last saw her?" Shannon shrugged and started making her way to the water bowl. Freddie followed her and watched as she lapped up the cool liquid.

"He really hasn't acted too far off. There are occasions where he'll say random stuff to me, which I think is odd, but I over-look it. He hasn't been interested in any girls since then, either."

"I hope Sam didn't scare him away from girls for good." Freddie laughed and Shannon gave a small snicker. She wasn't happy when Sam told Rueben off that night in such a manner, but at the same time, she liked the fact that she let Rueben know there was no chance of anything happening between them.

"No, he's actually openly flirted with girls, but he's never gotten involved with anybody. I've asked him why, he just says there aren't any girls that have really caught his eye." Freddie stared at Shannon with shock and began to wonder if she was truly dense or not. He knew what was going on, it sounded so much like the case where Rueben most likely liked Shannon. Was that possible?

"So he's flirted with other girls in your presence and has told you that despite all that, there's no one he's interested in? Not only that, he's had those nervous reactions with you?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Could he be trying to make Shannon jealous or to keep her from thinking he liked her for some reason?

"How does he talk to other girls?"

"Normally, perfectly unaffected." He sighed with disbelief, questioning how Shannon could miss something like that. Chances were also likely that Rueben had been affected by how obsessed Shannon had been with Freddie.

"And you never suspected that he might like you?" Shannon was aghast, it seemed absurd that Rueben would even pay the slightest bit of attention to her in such a way. What was Freddie's reason for bringing him up, anyway? What did it matter to him? Maybe he was just trying to be a big brother, almost like Jeremy often did. Hell, the guy teased her constantly about Rueben long ago. She let a tear fall and closed her eyes, she missed Jeremy so damn much. "What's wrong?"

"I just…I miss my brother." Freddie frowned as Shannon lay on the floor and stared at her reflection in the water, she hated being a dog and being away from her family. She didn't care how much fun the animal life was, and however much she dreamed about having been a dog instead, she desperately wanted her brother and her mom. "I want to go home, Freddie. I want to go home."

"I know Shannon, I don't think it will be too much longer for you. In fact, I did something for you that I think you would like…" Shannon glanced over and raised her eyebrow as Freddie left the room. He had managed to go find Madame Fontessa overnight, waking Jonah, who didn't seem too thrilled with returning to the woman's place.

"Freddie? What are you doing?" Freddie returned, carrying a box in his mouth. He placed it down in front of Shannon and sighed.

"In this is a crystal orb, the same basic orb you got from Fontessa the first time…" Shannon gasped and took a fearful step back, she wanted nothing to do with magic. Not after what had happened. "It's not going to have the same effect and it won't cause anybody to fall for you or whatever. The idea behind it is…well what you have to do to return to human form is to find your true Corazon."

"How am I supposed to know who that is?"

"It'll tell you."

"Wha…what does that mean?"

"So you won't have to wait and search anymore. It will glow when you find the right person. It needed to be placed in a box because if there's any physical contact, the person who touches it is the one it matches its wavelength to."

"I…I can't believe you'd do this for me…" Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared fearfully at the object. She knew it would be the thing that made her human, but there had to be a catch. She would listen completely this time, no more rushing into things. "So what is the catch?"

"If the person is in the room, it will glow, but you'll have to find the person yourself. If you hand it to the wrong person, it could seriously jumble your emotions up and it will also turn the person you handed it to into an animal of any species." Shannon paled and swallowed hard, this meant if she honestly used such a thing, she would have to make damn sure to give it to the right person. "Handing it to the correct person will cause you to grow back into your human form…they have to actually touch it."

"Their touching it won't do anything to them, will it?"

"Correct. Hell, if you were to play fetch with the person, it wouldn't be any different than throwing a ball to them. Although to you, it would make a world of difference, obviously." Shannon understood what Freddie was saying, and she really wasn't sure if she liked it. Could she actually use this? What if she handed it to the wrong person? That would ruin things forever, and she might end up stuck as a dog for the rest of her life. Never again would she see her family, never again would she speak to Rueben, never again would anything ever go right for her.

"Freddie…It scares me." She whimpered and Freddie gazed sadly at the orb, he knew Shannon didn't deserve to be a dog. This would be the quickest, most surefire way for her to return. "Why can't you use it for yourself?"

"I don't want to, and I can't." The old woman had told him how Shannon's case was far different than his and could be solved easily. This method only worked for her kind. "This was made as a counter to some of her other magic. In essence, it was made special for you."

"I see." Powder walked up to her, having overheard the conversation. She was happy that at least Shannon might have a way back to normal. "Do you think I should use it, Powder?"

"If it gives you a way to return to human form, then I think it could be a good idea. I think you should be careful, of course. I'd hate to see anything bad happen to you."

"Thanks." Shannon smiled at Powder and gave a brief sigh, she knew she would miss that cat most of all when she returned to human form. Unless of course, she could possibly adopt the kitten, she had become really close to her during her time here. Could it be possible that Powder might be her 'soul pet' so to speak? "Hey Powder, you know, I've been thinking about something…"

"Oh? What's that?" Shannon carefully opened the box with her nose and eyed the dull, crystal orb carefully. She felt an obscure amount of confidence spilling into her, she was not sure where it was coming from.

"Maybe when I become human, you could be my pet?" Powder gasped lightly and smiled, she would love to be adopted. "My brother adopted Princess, so you'd get to see her again too. I just think we've connected really well and maybe…you might be the pet meant for me or something."

"Y-Yes, I would be extremely happy with that! Would you really adopt me?"

"Yes." Freddie smiled and tilted his head, he was very happy about this. "I promise, when the day comes that I'm human, I'm going to adopt you. In the meantime…" Shannon sniffed the orb and closed her eyes as she set her paw on top of it. Freddie and Powder watched as the orb flashed once, recognizing Shannon's print. She opened her eyes and gasped, it was less painful than she thought it would be. "I guess I'll have to entrust my future to this orb."

"I have a good feeling about this," Freddie said with a subtle smile. He knew how to keep the faith, because of all things considered, there was nothing else they could believe in other than their own selves and minds. Everything he knew had been wrong, he was wrong to believe Sam was nothing but pure malice and he was wrong to believe that Shannon was crazy. Now he was redeeming himself, and he was happy about that. He loved being able to help everyone. That's what was important. "I should also let you know, Spaz is getting adopted."

"Random, but okay…That's good news. When did you hear that?"

"Just this morning. Rueben's coming over, evidently he discovered the place and Sam's not sure if she's going to hide or not." Shannon paled and took a step back, she was in shock. Rueben was coming to the farm to adopt Spaz, but when. She wanted to know if he was the right person, if maybe there was any hope. If the orb started glowing around him, she would have to figure that out on her own. Hopefully she'd get him alone.

"Do you know when?"

"Probably in a few days, I'm not sure exactly."

"Okay. And Freddie, thank you for the talk and…everything." Freddie smiled at her as she and Powder scurried off, taking the orb and its container with them.

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Ooh I was wrong, guess it's 17, 18, 19, either way all good chapters ^_^. Hope you've enjoyed this, Freddie doing something nice for Shannon.


	16. Carly's Fear

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

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Chapter 16 (Carly's Fear)

Carly was leaning against a wall, watching her brother sculpt Cheeto, she was glad that he was having so much fun with his new pet. She could remember when she was younger, how she wanted a dog so much, but after the traumatic event a few months prior, she was immensely afraid of them. It was a horrible fear to have, but she couldn't help it. She wasn't much of a cat person either, so what was she going to do when she wanted a pet?

She smiled as Spencer finished his sculpture and examined it, his art skills had increased greatly when Cheeto came into their lives. It was mysterious how he ended up at their door, then Sam suddenly appeared. Sam had been acting strangely ever since she got those dogs of hers. Then again, for a best friend, she didn't really know that much about her. It was sad, really.

She walked over to Cheeto when her brother left the room. The cat grinned as she pet his head. He had been watching her and was hoping to get her to overcome her fear of dogs somehow, perhaps if he could get her around some of the calmer dogs, it would be a great thing. Smirking to himself, he eyed the front door and realized it was cracked. He had a plan of action that he'd been working on since he became the Shay's pet. Thinking fast, he bolted for the door.

"Cheeto! Where are you going!" Carly shouted as she bolted after him. She didn't think to warn Spencer, he would be traumatized if something happened to his new kitten. Cheeto made sure that Carly would remain behind her, going fast but fast enough to stay ahead of her and slow enough that he didn't lose her. "Here kitty! Come back!"

"Sorry Carly, can't let you catch me," He said as he sped up just a little. She swiped down and almost caught him, but missed. He chuckled nervously and bolted into an elevator just as the doors closed.

"No!" Carly screamed and threw her hands into her hair. She couldn't lose the cat. This was the first time he ever ran off, it was odd. Thinking fast, she pressed the button to summon the elevator and waited as the second elevator opened its doors. She stepped in and rode it to the floor. She prayed Cheeto wasn't lost already. When she got out, she saw Cheeto sitting on a table, licking his paw. His head bolted up when she stepped out of the elevator, Carly had just lost the element of surprise.

"Finally you get here." Thinking fast, he bolted out of the lobby as someone walked through the automatic doors. Carly yelled and ran after him, pleading for him to come back. He knew where Sugar was, and was thankful that Valerie didn't live too far off. Perhaps if he could lead Carly to her, Sugar could convince her that not all dogs were bad. Carly panted as she rounded a corner, she was starting to become tired of running. "Just a little more."

"Cheeto, please, stop running just a moment." Her breathing grew heavy, but she refused to stop. She had to push herself. Never before had she seen a _cat_ run so fast. The cat then decided to turn into a nearby alley, seeing as how it was a shortcut. He was unaware that this was the very alley where Carly suffered the traumatic event. Carly turned into the alley and froze suddenly. "No…" Cheeto leapt up onto a fence and stopped running once he realized that Carly wasn't chasing him anymore. He looked back at her and frowned when he saw Carly shaking fearfully with each step towards her cat.

"Why is she so afraid?" He mewed questionably as Carly kept her gaze locked onto him. He was the thing that made her forget about the hard memory from her past, but with each step, she feared a dog jumping out on her. Cheeto looked over to see Isis and Shadow in the distance. He grinned and called out to them, they must be on their daily walk. "Isis! Shadow! Over here!" The two dogs looked over and smiled when they saw him.

"Cheeto! What are you doing outside?" Isis barked.

"I'm trying to get my master to be less afraid of dogs. I don't know how I'm going to do that, though. She's not moving anymore. What were you guys doing here?"

"Paying a visit to some of the previously adopted animals," Shadow said as he and Isis walked up to Cheeto. They were on the other side of the fence, so Carly couldn't see them. A scent started taunting Shadow's nostrils and he let out a small growl. "Madame Fontessa, where's she coming from?"

"I don't know." Cheeto looked over to Carly's side, she was frozen just a few feet away. He frowned and looked past her to see Madame Fontessa walking past. The old woman turned to Carly and frowned.

"Miss, are you okay?" The elder woman asked with kindness. Carly turned to her and smiled slightly.

"It's fine, I'm trying to get my cat, but you see…This place is…"

"You suffered a traumatic event here, didn't you?" Carly slowly nodded as the woman gave a brief sigh. "You have a fear of dogs, I suppose."

"Yeah, I was attacked by a couple dogs before."

"Would you like to overcome that fear?"

"I guess…" The woman smiled and held out her hand, opening it to reveal a small tube with some fluid in it. "What is that?"

"I specialize in magic. Potions, crystals, and various ornaments are what I supply. Beware though, everything comes with a catch. This potion here is what I just got done brewing at the shop. It cures almost any phobia immediately." Carly stared at it lustfully for a minute and was almost tempted. She could cure her fear of dogs, the greatest thing ever. Maybe she wouldn't have to face her fear to destroy it.

"No, don't take it," Shadow muttered, bowing his head. He knew Madame Fontessa wasn't a bad person and she meant well, but he wished people wouldn't use her magic items. There was almost always a catch and if they didn't listen well enough, they could severely screw anything up. "She must be out of that potion if she's brewing up new ones."

"You recognize it?" Isis asked while raising an eyebrow. Shadow nodded and gave a small growl.

"The catch is in its description. It will cure any phobia immediately. It is not a phobia specific potion, it will remove _every_ fear you have."

"So you're not afraid of anything, what's bad about it?" To Isis, it sounded really good, but Shadow knew the problem with it. He shook his head and Cheeto readied himself to snatch away the potion if he had to.

"Think about it, what would you do if you were afraid of _nothing_? It is a daredevil potion, Isis." Isis lifted her head up and her eyes grew larger, now she understood why Shadow didn't like it. "It can give the user certain impulses. Imagine diving off a cliff without protection, or deep sea diving with no oxygen tank."

"Shit." Cheeto swallowed hard and looked over at Carly, she looked so close to taking that potion. If she did, he would have to get rid of it. "Isn't the woman aware of these things?"

"To an extent. Some things she knows the effects of, such as how Freddie, Jonah, and Shannon all turned to animals, but to other things she doesn't know. This potion is one of those."

"She just hands them out willy-nilly?"

"Yep."

"I'm not sure," Carly said as she lowered her hand. She really didn't like magic, never trusted it to be honest. She didn't have the same faith in it either. Madame Fontessa never forced these things on other people, that was one good thing about her, she always warned people and gave them a choice. "I think if I'm going to overcome this fear, I need to do it on my own. I'm sorry, but I just don't believe in magic, if it really exists." The woman smiled and pocketed the potion, she was proud of Carly for refusing the item. She was always proud when someone opted not to use her items. She hated when someone used them without knowing what they did, and if they took them, she loved when they used it right and everything worked out.

"I'm glad to see you have chosen that," she replied gracefully. "It thrills me when people realize that magic as an easy way out is not always the best route. Sometimes the best things are brought about through hard work and experience." Shadow sighed with relief and Cheeto laid down on the fence, beating it with his tail. He was happy for Carly as well. "I will tell you, though. Magic is very real and very true. I have seen man in the form of beasts and beasts in the form of man."

"What?"

"Let me also leave you with this tidbit of information that you may desire knowledge of those you are closest to. Not all is what it seems." She was referencing who Sam really was and how Freddie had been turned into a dog. "The things you discover in life, you must face with a willing and open mind."

"You're confusing me."

"Everything will be clear to you soon." The woman smiled and moved on her way, leaving a very baffled girl in her wake. Carly shook her head and looked over at Cheeto, having forgotten her fear for the moment.

"Okay Cheeto, we need to go home. Now come here, please." Cheeto sighed and shrugged his shoulders, he felt his plan was already done anyway. Isis looked over and saw Mr. Benson walking down the street, patrolling the area. She smiled and stood firm, always appreciating a man in uniform. Shadow chuckled and looked up as Cheeto leapt into Carly's arms.

"You're going home now?" Shadow asked. Cheeto responded positively and looked over as a car parked next to the alley.

"Who the hell is that?" Cheeto asked. Shadow raised an eyebrow and leapt up on a crate and put his paws up on the fence, looking over it. Isis looked up as Shadow began describing the suspicious van.

"Isis, you should see this." Isis leapt up and looked at the van as someone shouted.

"There she is! The star of iCarly!" The man inside shouted. Carly looked over and gasped as three people leapt out of the side. "Grab her!" They were going to kidnap her and use her as ransom.

"Shit!" Isis shouted as she leapt off the crate. Shadow looked at her with concern as she started to run off. He barked after her and she continued to run. "I'm going to get that officer!" Carly screamed out and the driver of the van started up the car. Once the men got her in and shut the door, he drove off. Shadow growled and leapt over the fence, he still had his youth, even in his old age. John looked down to see Isis barking at him.

"Hey, you're the dog from before," he stated while crossing his arms. He found it strange to meet up with her again. He was one of Sam's dogs. He had always known of the Puckett's farm, but kept the knowledge to himself. His own son didn't know. "What is it?" He looked up just as the van sped by, Isis started barking wildly at it, telling him to follow it.

"That van, you need to go after it! They have Carly!" Instinct told him to go after the vehicle. He wasn't sure why, but he knew always to listen to intuition. He ran for his patrol car and opened the passenger door for Isis to get in. She narrowed her eyes as John started driving and using his radio to call out to other units.

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Ah here we go, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let's see what happens. Review if you will ^_^


	17. Old Enemies

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 17 (An Old Enemy)

"All units, I am engaging in a chase on North Emerson Street. The suspect is driving a brown Ford Surveillance vehicle…" Isis kept her eyes on the van as John spoke into the radio. He found it curious that a brown dog was chasing after the van as well from the side. His eyes widened when he saw someone open the side door and shoot at his car with a shotgun. "Suspect is armed, I repeat the suspect is armed!" The dog then jumped into the van and he saw Carly attempt to jump out, but was grabbed back in. "Shit. The suspect has a hostage! The suspect has a hostage! Carly Shay!" Isis was proud of this moment, it had been so long before she rode in a squad car and worked next to a police officer. She just hoped Shadow, Carly and Cheeto would be okay. Shadow may be old, but he was one tough dog.

In the van, the men threw Carly against the back doors. "Don't try that stunt again!" The men shouted. Carly whimpered as Cheeto hissed. She grabbed Cheeto and held him tight, hoping the men wouldn't throw him out. It was then that she noticed Shadow in the van and gasped. The men didn't seem to bother with the dog and went back to shooting at the police car chasing them.

"Oh god," Carly whimpered. Shadow bowed his head and slowly moved towards Carly, he wanted her to know everything would be all right.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you," Shadow said. Though as he moved closer, Carly scooted further back into a corner. Cheeto saw this was going nowhere and decided to show his master there was nothing to fear about Shadow. This was the calmest dog possible.

"Shadow, let her see me come to you," Cheeto said quietly. Carly was holding onto Cheeto tightly, though. The gun blasts were like explosions to all of them. In a time of heavy fear, Carly wasn't sure if she should really worry so much about a dog. Shadow stood still and Cheeto managed to get free from Carly's grasp.

"Cheeto!" Carly grabbed at him but then paled when she saw the cat moving towards Shadow. She was afraid to lose her pet to a dog, she didn't want anything bad to happen.

"I don't know how the hell you got in here, old man," Cheeto said with a smirk. He was grateful that the men in the van were too focused on the police cars that now joined Mr. Benson's unit to care about the animals. "You've never ceased to amaze us though."

"Thanks. I'm trying to calm Carly down though." Carly watched with earnest as Cheeto rubbed against Shadow. It seemed the two animals were friendly. She flinched when she heard another gunshot and whimpered as she pulled her knees to her chest. Shadow slowly walked over to her, Carly didn't move away this time, realizing that a fear of dogs was not the ultimate fear at the moment.

"M-Maybe I should have taken that potion," Carly shivered.

"No, you're better off without," Shadow said as he brushed against her. Carly swallowed hard and looked at him. She closed her eyes and moaned, thinking he was going to hurt her, but was surprised when he started to lick her hand. She opened her eyes and stared at him curiously. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm only trying to comfort you."

"You're not dangerous?" Carly let her legs fall flat on the ground and let Shadow lay his paws and chest over her legs. Suddenly the car jerked to the side and Carly screamed out, throwing her arms around Shadow's neck and burying her face in his fur. He licked her arm and let her hold him. Any more energized dog wouldn't have liked the sudden movement, Carly knew this. "You're not biting me? G-Good dog…"

"Just hold me and relax." His calm demeanor helped her as she took a deep breath and started trying to relax. Her body stopped shaking and Shadow became her entire world, her safety net. She sensed that he was trying to protect her. Cheeto smiled at the sight as Shadow rested his head in Carly's lap. She wiped her tears away and held tightly onto Shadow. She looked over as Cheeto walked up to her and curled up on her legs.

"Shit, a spike trap!" The driver shouted out. Carly closed her eyes and held even tighter onto the dog as the vehicle swerved and jumped. The police were trying their hardest to avoid injuring anyone in the van and trying not to let it crash. High speed chases were always the most dangerous, though.

"Not all dogs are dangerous. Remember that."

"D-Don't leave me," Carly whimpered. "Please stay with me…"

"I will never leave your side, not until you are safe. Dogs are ferociously loyal." One of the men looked over at her and growled, reaching for her, but Shadow barked at him and Cheeto hissed. The man recoiled and moved back, surprised by the resistance. "Stay away from this girl, I will not let you harm her."

"Quit comforting her," The man said with a growl. Shadow raised his head briefly and narrowed his eyes, this man could understand his speech.

"You know of Madame Fontessa? What were you?"

"Snake originally." Shadow frowned and recalled an old memory, he could remember a snake hanging around the old woman's shack. He thought it died when he threw the demon into a boiling pot. "I remember you." Carly wasn't paying any mind to the strange conversation, she was more worried about holding onto Shadow. Shadow bared his teeth and barked once.

"If you harm this girl, I fight you."

"You don't have the guts to kill me, mutt."

"Do you want to find out what an old man like me can do to you?" What had been brewing at the time? What was it that had transformed this snake into a man? "What had you fallen into?"

"You should know."

"What was the labeling?"

"Romali…" Shadow blinked and tried to recognize the name. He could vaguely remember it. It ended up being Madame Fontessa's first attempt at manipulation, turning an animal into a man and a man into an animal. It was a failed attempt, as it ended up only being temporary.

"That only has a three year effect!" It had been a little over three years since the day, which meant this man's time should be up. He could revert back into a snake at any time. Perhaps he wasn't aware.

"What do you want with me?" Carly asked, unaware that the man was talking to the dog. She was grief-stricken and fearful of these people, she wanted to live and was afraid she would be killed when her time was up.

"We've been following you for some time," the man sneered as he glared at Carly. "We've planned to abduct the internet's biggest star and use you for ransom. I'm sure the city would pay handsomely to have you returned to safety. Now as for these useless animals…"

"No! Don't do anything to them!" The man grabbed Shadow and pulled him away from Carly. Carly screamed and reached for him, she didn't want to lose the dog. The man laughed venomously and opened the door. Shadow growled and tried to free himself, but was unable. Cheeto jumped for the man and attempted to claw him. "Please!" Carly quickly latched onto the man, trying to keep him from the door.

"Say goodbye mutt, your time has come!"

"Would you forget about the damn animals, Snake!" Shouted the man in the passenger seat. Snake was his self-chosen codename, as each of them had one. Snake shouted as Cheeto dug his claws into his arm and started biting his hand. Suddenly the driver swerved dangerously and tossed Snake from the van, along with Carly and the animals. They screamed and started rolling down a hill, each of them going in separate directions.

"Damn it!"

"Shit! Eagle, you've thrown them from the van!" The driver cussed and gripped the wheel tightly, there was nothing they could do now. He looked in the rearview mirror and groaned, the area the group fell into was a heavily wooded area with a large lake behind it.

"We can't stop," Eagle said with narrow eyes. He was the leader of the group, hence his codename, signifying the ever watchful eye and leadership. His codename had been chosen by the group. John had noticed the group fall out, but he couldn't stop his vehicle. He had to pursue the chase. Isis closed her eyes and hoped that everyone would be safe. "We'll try and find them later."

In the wooded area, Shadow slowly rose from the ground, his entire body ached. He looked around and noticed Snake was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Cheeto. They probably landed in a separate area. He could hear Carly screaming, though.

"Someone help! I'm drowning!" Carly cried out from the lake. She had been so roughed up that she couldn't safely swim and the lake was far too deep for her aching muscles. She was going to die, she wanted to live. Nobody could hear her and the only other person nearby was probably that creepy guy. She flailed her arms in the water and gasped for air. "Help!"

"Keep screaming, I'll find you," Shadow howled as he ran for the lake. Carly didn't sound too far away at all, in fact, she seemed just seconds away. As he continued his run, he could see something splashing in the lake. It was Carly! "There you are!" Carly saw Shadow running and her eyes grew large.

"Dog! Help me!" She thought she was crazy for begging a dog to save her, but death brought on very weird actions. Shadow leapt into the water and started swimming towards her. She felt a sense of hope rising in her. Shadow was old, he wasn't as good of a swimmer as he used to be, but for Carly, he needed to try his hardest. Once he reached her, she carefully wrapped her arms around his neck. "You seem like you know what you're doing boy, get me to safety, please…"

"I will." She buried her tearstained face into his fur and held her breath as he started swimming to shore. His movements were slow, since she was weighing him down. He was taking in a lot of water, but he was not going to give up. "We're almost there."

"I'm cold, I'm scared, and I want Spencer and Cheeto." She started sobbing once more, fearing she'd never see either of them again. Her eyes widened and she gasped, realizing Cheeto had been thrown out of the van as well. "No…Cheeto…He's gone! Where is he?" She would have panicked, but she was reminded of Shadow and kept herself calm until they made it to shore.

"Cheeto better be okay. I'll find him…" Shadow grunted and finally managed to make it to the shallow end of the lake. Carly was now able to get off of Shadow and make it onto dry land, where she collapsed and began panting heavily. Shadow collapsed next to her, trying to keep her body warm. Carly was not going to leave Shadow's side, he was her lifeline.

"Damn you, mutt," A voice said from the woods. Shadow's ears perked up and Carly gasped as Snake came limping from the trees. "You're expendable, but sadly Eagle wants that girl to live." He slowly pointed a small pistol at Shadow and narrowed his eyes. "You're done."

"No! You won't hurt him!" Carly shouted as she wrapped herself around Shadow and glared at the man. Shadow protected her, saved her, and now it was her turn to protect him. "I won't let you!"

"Aw come on, this is personal and in between us." Carly narrowed her eyes and held her glare on the man. She had no clue what he was talking about, but she knew personally, she didn't care. "Between me, and that mutt. We go a long ways." Carly looked at Shadow and noticed a collar with a tag, it said his name and the adoption service he belonged to.

"What? You don't have an owner?" How could that be? He seemed like a very loyal dog, not only that, but he was very calming. How could he have no owner? She shook her head and glared back at Snake. "His name is Shadow, not Mutt!"

"Oh what the hell do you care? This isn't even about you, this is about that damn dog!" Suddenly a loud yowling sound was heard from one of the trees. Snake raised an eyebrow and turned around in time for Cheeto to leap out of a nearby tree and onto his back, thanking the fact that Snake had no sense of direction and turned away from him.

"Cheeto! You're still alive!"

"Damn it, get this deranged cat off of me!" Snake reached behind, but couldn't grab Cheeto off. He yelled as Cheeto started scratching his back, protecting his master. The cat then leapt down onto Snake's arm and bit his hand, causing him to drop the gun.

"Hah, made you lose the gun!" Cheeto shouted proudly. He then leapt off Snake and hurried over to Carly, letting the girl hold him in her arms. She snuggled him close to her chest and placed her chin on his head, swaying from side to side.

"Thank god!" Snake growled and glared over at the group while Cheeto spat out. The man tasted horrible. Shadow stepped in front of Carly and narrowed his eyes, smirking as Snake started emitting a green glow. Snake noticed this and shouted out, having no clue what was happening. Carly merely stared, dumbfounded and in total shock.

"What the hell's going on?" Snake asked as he stared at his glowing arm.

"It looks like your time is up," Shadow responded. Snake shouted in despair as his arms started returning to his body and he began to return to his previous form as a snake.

"No! This can't be happening to me! No!" Carly's jaw dropped as the man was now a snake, slithering across the ground. He stared at Shadow and hissed. "Damn you! I'll kill you!"

"Yeah, too bad you're not a venomous snake. Otherwise, I would be a little worried. Now leave before I tear you apart." Shadow bared his fangs once more and Shadow slithered away.

"W-What just happened?" Carly asked as she slowly stepped forward. What she had just seen didn't make the slightest bit of sense whatsoever. Nobody would believe her, she was certain of that. So perhaps she would just keep quiet about that.

"Shadow, we need to get Carly somewhere safe," Cheeto said quietly. Shadow nodded and barked once, urging Carly to follow him. She looked at him and nodded her head, she would follow this dog anywhere.

"Not all dogs are bad, huh…You saved me."

* * *

Seems Shadow's helping Carly overcome her fear. "Stay tuned for the next exciting installment of-" Ah screw the narrator voice, lol. Stick around for the next chapter


	18. Note  skip to 19

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

**DON'T READ THIS AUTHOR NOTE UNLESS YOU'RE THE ONE THAT JUST ASKED ABOUT INTHEDARKNESS-**Might be updating this a bit earlier than I planned, but I have a reason. So the actual chapter won't be here until a little bit later...This is why I detest anonymous reviewers asking me stuff...anyway, this type of question best in an anon review so I can delete it rather than an actual account...INTHEDARKNESSISTHELIGHT IS NO LONGER A PART OF MY LIFE. I broke up with her after 2 YEARS OF PURE FUCKING HELL FROM MOSTLY HER MOTHER, BUT HER AS WELL. I never want to think back to that again...I'm not upset, since I guess it's easy to not have caught it...but for those who don't know, I got married to some chick I met on this site, thought she was the one, thought it was the GREATEST THING EVER. Boy was I wrong, DEAD WRONG. I stopped being able to write, because any chance I got, THEY CHEWED ME OUT. They made damn sure I paid them attention 24/7, screw everything else. Everything, including this story you're reading right now, went straight to hell. For those reading Forbidden truth, after I had broken up with her the FIRST TIME, she purposely made an account and posted a review because she 'claimed' I wouldn't read her messages on the actual account. I had to break up with her a SECOND time, and she STILL didn't leave me alone. She kept sending me messages, through this, being the only way she could ever contact me again. I break up with her a 3rd and final time, and MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, SHE FINALLY GOT THE FREAKING MESSAGE. I don't think so, but I'm hoping, here's praying that psycho woman and her mother don't end up on my doorstep this christmas...

As for my story, BOARDED, the reason I'm taking a break from writing Sam? Because Sam and her mother remind me SO MUCH of that girl and her mother, their relationship and everything. I don't like talking about the past, I don't like thinking about the worst mistake I ever made. I thought I made CLEAR that she and I had separated, but something I seem to notice, people don't get my messages very well...Sorry for the long rant, I apologize for losing it right there...Yeah, sometimes it's difficult writing anything between Sam and her mother anymore, there's a lot of things that are different, harder on me now because of both Andrea and her mom, Kris. I can't tell you how much emotional and mental abuse I endured, mostly from her mom, but a good amount from her. I can't say I'm positive anything she ever told me was the truth. It's funny how we compared ourselves to Seddie so much...you wonder why I'd rather dabble in other pairings now, but I don't. I still like iCarly, though it reminds me of her, I don't care. I still like Seddie, but sometimes I do need to take that step back. I can't stop writing Seddie though, if I did that...I'd lose every one of my readers, I fear...Since my Jalerie centered stories didn't really get many hits. I'm not so worried though. Please enjoy this chapter and forgive me for this long rant. Won't happen again...

As for the anonymous person, I apologize again, a million times over. You didn't know, it's not your fault, please don't be upset. I haven't been in contact with _her_ in two months, I obviously don't intend to talk to her. As much time as I spent with her, I'll be honest...I'm not being mean here, but **don't expect her to ever continue those stories**. Her mother is the MOST important thing in her life, and god that woman manpulates the hell out of her. She never gets time to work on anything, hell I was lucky to even be able to work on anything, let alone finish GREATEST SECRET. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do or say, nor anyone else. InTheDarkness is gone, simple as that. One of my stories inspired her to put everything up, and that was it. Maybe she'll update, I don't know. To be honest, and not meaning to be cruel, but I just don't care. I'm sorry. I wish I could say something good here...but I just can't.

Do I regret being with her, do I regret what I thought what I was feeling was? No, I learned a lot. I did. I might wish I wasn't stupid enough to go to her, wasn't stupid enough to let religion convince me to marry her. Now I have to wait to file for divorce just cause I was out of the state when I got married...that sucks. A lot was destroyed during my time with her. My reputation, my pride, my BANK. Her mom, the epitome of Sam's mother. Her sister, Shawnda, always away...never wanted to be around them so much because of their problems. They had a lot of problems, mental problems. Her mother was lazy, controlling, manipulative, yelled at everything and everyone. If she couldn't get her way, she cried or gripped until she got it, guilting everybody in the process. Lord knows I was one victim of her crap, whenever I even _touched _the computer (which was the only time I got to talk to my friends), she yelled and guilted, saying whatever or whoever was more important and so forth. It got to the point where I just couldn't write anymore, feeling ashamed or guilty every damn time I wrote. FORBIDDEN TRUTH really was my "bouncing back" story.

Now, I hate when people try and manipulate me. I hate getting close to people, I can't trust people as easily. I'm scared that if I give my heart out to anyone, they're going to crush it. Writing? Yes, it's medatative for me. I can write what I feel, I can express everything through writing, and it feels so great to just let it all out somehow. Did you know that oneshot I wrote recently, MIDNIGHT RUN, actually happened? Yeah, between me and my friend Nicole. *chuckles* Wow...what can I say about her? I dated her once, but then called it off...I was so stupid then. Wasn't long after that when Andrea came into my life. Now that I came back, seeing Nicole, I realized what I missed out on, what I could have had. Neither of us want a relationship now. She doesn't believe in love, and frankly, I don't know how well it looks to me anymore.

Thank god I'm getting back, that's all I can say. I'm going back to college, and I'm majoring in Criminal Justice. I'm thinking either Forensics, or maybe a criminologist. Then again, maybe I'll be a social worker. Cause god knows, if there are any mothers out there like Kris, their children can do a lot better. Believe me. And thank god Andrea never ended up pregnant. She used to say she was most like Sam, but I always saw her as more of a Freddie, she thought I was Freddie, but hell...I'm more of a Sam, more of a risk taker. Either way, iCarly became our thing...so yeah it's difficult, but I'm managing. I don't want to lose something that I love, that I think is a hobby, because of two people who were a living hell to me. BPD-borderline personality disorder, it is the worst thing a person can have. They had it. Look it up, and you might learn of my hell. I don't want to say much else, I just wanted to explain a little bit more, so you didn't have to see only my rage, and maybe you could understand...but please, when I leave author notes at the end or beginning of my stories, usually the end, they're for a reason. READ THEM. I think I've mentioned that I left her, I don't know...but yeah...My life is slowly, but surely falling back into place. I miss the old days, where everything was better and not so different, but I'm dealing, I'm learning. I'm managing it. I promise not to jump off the line like that again, it was wrong of me to do, and I take responsibility for that. Please don't hold it against me...and enjoy the chapter. I'm going to upload it as a separate chapter, since this author note is so long...I don't want to leave it with the chapter and have people reviewing about the author note and not the actual story...


	19. Surprising Discovery

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

Chapter 18 (Surprising Discoveries)

Eagle and his two guys had circled around, still driving the cops all over the place. They were almost at the end of their rope and were now just trying not to get caught. It had been several minutes of driving and nothing but pure hell from these police officers. Eventually, they saw Carly walking down the street with her pets, she had survived the fall from the car.

"There she is boss! What do we do?" Eagle narrowed his eyes and growled. Carly spotted their car and her eyes grew wide, she had a feeling going on the road would be a bad idea.

"We use her," Eagle muttered. He slammed his foot on the brake and screeched to a halt behind Carly. She screamed as the two men leapt from the car and grabbed her. The police cars surrounded them and Eagle put his arm around Carly's neck and held his gun to her temple.

"Let her go," John said as he stepped out of his car. He had his gun locked on the men, as did every officer there. Isis looked around and smiled, she was not the only dog there. It felt good to do her duty with fellow canine units.

"Not happening." Carly whimpered and looked up to see a chopper hovering over them. The chase had apparently put matters of urgency on the police squad. "I want money and she's my meal ticket."

"I don't recognize you," spoke one dog next to Isis. "Who are you?" The dog next to that one, who was a bit older, easily recognized her.

"Isis? Is it really you?" The older dog spoke.

"Yes," Isis responded. "I wanted to get involved in this. You can take the dog away from the police, but you can't take the police out of the dog." The dog laughed and nodded his head.

"I know that's the truth! It's good to see you again. Are you here to stay?" Isis frowned and slowly shook her head. God how she wished she could, but she had been given up by her original officer and surely John wouldn't recognize her.

"I don't even know if the police would let me back in."

"You'll just have to show them how good you are. You were one of the best!"

"Thanks. I agree." Isis smirked and stared at Eagle, she could easily tear him away from Carly. "I know you, Axel, but who's the new guy?"

"I'm Buckley," replied the first dog. Isis gave a nod and held her glare upon Eagle.

"Okay then. At my signal, Axel, you take the bum on the right and Buckley, take the guy on the left. I got Eagle."

"He's holding the girl at gunpoint!" Axel chuckled and smirked as he prepared himself for a run. He knew Isis could do this, she'd managed tougher scrapes.

"Buckley, you're talking to one of the toughest dogs at the station, or well...she used to be there. A man holding a hostage at gunpoint is nothing to her." John looked down at Isis and smiled, he could see the planning in her eyes. "Just do as she says and go along with the plan, trust me."

"If you got some idea girl, go for it," John said quietly.

"That man seems to want the girl alive," Isis said as she moved a paw forward. "That means he won't actually shoot her." Isis looked at John for permission, he gave a nod and she quickly barked twice. "Go for it!"

"Onward!" Axel and Buckley quickly charged the two lesser people, surprising everyone there. They pushed the men to the ground and Eagle lowered his gun, staring in shock.

"What the hell? Get up, they're just dumb dogs!" Eagle shouted. Isis growled and reared herself.

"You're going to regret saying that as you feel my teeth in your skin! Die!" Isis charged Eagle and he shouted, trying to move his gun to her in order to protect himself. She was too fast for him, he barely got his gun to chest level as she sank her teeth into his wrist. Carly screamed and ran over to where John was as Eagle tried to shake Isis off of him.

"Damn you!" Isis quickly leapt off him, staring at him as he fell to the ground, clutching his wrist.

"Stay down, punk. Stay down."

"Stay down," John said under his breath as he aimed his gun on Eagle. Isis frowned as the man started to stand up and move his gun to his free hand.

"I'm not going down without a fight!" Eagle shouted out.

"Axel, Buckley, bolt out!" Isis shouted. The dogs each returned to their officers as John ordered the others.

"Fire at will!" Eagle's eyes widened as the officers dealt him several blows with their bullets. He grunted and fell to his knees. Carly tightened her grasp in Shadow's fur and Cheeto looked away, it was a very painful sight. When the firing was over, the two men that were brought down by the other dogs remained on the ground, paralyzed with shock and fear. They were soon arrested by other officers. John turned to Carly and met her eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-Yes sir, Mr. Benson. Can I go home?"

"We'll have you safely with Spencer in a little bit."

"Thank you."

It wasn't long before Carly was brought home to Spencer, who had seen everything on the news and was freaking out all over the place. When Carly walked in the door with Shadow and Cheeto, he ran over and embraced her quickly. "Carly! I was so afraid!" Spencer exclaimed as he squeezed Carly tightly, almost cutting off her circulation.

"I was so scared Spencer. I was afraid I was going to die." She sniffed as Spencer led her to the couch, he was going to make her a nice hot meal, he felt she deserved one. Cheeto leapt up next to Spencer and purred, he was insanely happy to be home and was not planning on going back outside for a very long time. Shadow placed his chin on Carly's leg and Spencer noticed him for the first time.

"Whoa, a dog, Carly?" Carly smiled and rubbed Shadow's head. She was eternally grateful to him.

"He stayed with me the entire time, he kept me calm. He saved my life, Spencer." Spencer smiled and gave her another hug, it looked like Carly was starting to move past her fear of dogs. He was proud of her. "Then those three police dogs, they saved me from those bad guys also." Spencer looked up to see John standing in the doorway, smirking as he leaned against the side.

"Those are some very good dogs," John said with a smile. "That golden retriever, you should give him a treat. He did a good job."

"He doesn't have a home." Carly hugged Shadow and looked up. "He's all alone in the world." She looked at Spencer with a pleading glance. "Can we keep him? Please?"

"I haven't seen you so curious about a dog in a long time. Wouldn't you agree, Spencer?" Spencer nodded his head and smiled at his sister.

"Yeah, if you want to keep it, I don't see why not," Spencer responded. Carly hugged Shadow and he stared at the wall in front of him with shock. Cheeto chuckled and looked happily at the old man he revered, it seemed Shadow was finally being considered for adoption, and by someone who evidently had a medicinal effect from him. "But he's not a stray, by the looks of it." Spencer grabbed Shadow's tag and read it, evidently the dog belonged to some adoption service that had a location on a farm.

"I'm going to take him up to the bedroom, I think he'd enjoy seeing his new home!" Carly was excited to be able to keep the dog. He seemed to help her forget all the recent trauma that had taken place that day. "Come on Shadow! That is your name, right boy?" Shadow barked happily and followed Carly upstairs. Spencer smiled and looked over at John, extremely thankful that the man had been able to save his little sister.

"I'm telling you, this is the second time I've seen that German Shepherd," John said while rubbing his chin and fingering his moustache. "That dog has to have police running thick in her veins."

"Maybe she does, who knows. Didn't you say once that there was an officer who dumped one of the dogs off at a farm a while ago? What are the chances of it being the same dog?"

"I'm not sure." John shrugged his shoulders and looked over to see Sam running into the door with Amato in tow, she had seen the news and had to know if Carly was okay.

"Where's Carly at?" Sam asked quickly. Freddie barked at John and looked over as Spencer told her Carly's location. "Amato, stay here. I don't want you to freak her out!" Freddie nodded and sighed, remembering again Carly's intense fear of dogs. He was glad to see on the news that Isis had been working close with the officers. She had actually returned home not long ago, not really wanting to stick around where she was sure she wouldn't be brought in. Axel and Buckley had spent some time with her, however. They were going to try and get the officers to realize who she was, and maybe she could be re-indicted as a police dogs. She didn't want to stick around for the hero medal that would have been awarded to the dogs, it would have been far too depressive for her.

"Spencer, could you grab a cup of coffee for me?" John asked while looking at Freddie. Spencer nodded and quickly got up, heading into the kitchen, away from earshot. John kneeled next to the dog and rubbed its head. "Hey boy." Freddie yelped in surprise and turned around, looking up into his father's eyes.

"Dad...I wish you could hear me. I'd tell you not to be worried about me." John leaned forward and whispered into Freddie's ear, he who his son was.

"Maybe you can go tell Isis to find me, I'd love to have her as my police dog…Freddie." Freddie's jaw dropped and John smirked. How the hell could his father know who he was? "You think I wouldn't recognize my own son? Just tell me, who did this to you?"

"How do you know who I am? Or even if you can understand me."

"I can understand you just fine. It's a little fuzzy, but I know what you're saying."

"How…" Several years ago, long before Madame Fontessa's time, John had been turned into an animal and abused.

"When I was a boy, I was taken by Madame Fontessa's mother who turned me into a lion. She threw me into some circus that her husband owned. Her son, Fontessa's brother, was old enough in his time to have experimented with magic. He returned me to my original form, and ever since then, I've understood animals loud and clear."

"Wow." John crossed his arms and smirked as Freddie took a nervous step backwards. He never fathomed his own father would be capable of recognizing him. Then again, he always did love how smart the man was. "And you can understand Isis too?"

"Strangely no, but I could hear Axel and Buckley refer to her as such. I don't suppose you'd like to return home?"

"Not right now. I have things to do…I have lessons to learn. I have to help everyone out first." He needed to put other people first, before himself. John stood firm and slowly nodded, he understood this. It was probably for the best, anyway.

"Your mother and I will be waiting for you to come home, then."

"Wait? She knows about the whole animal thing?"

"Yes." John closed his eyes and sighed. Marissa had not believed him at first when he told her, but there had always been something that told her it was true. It was when Madame Fontessa came by one day, checking on John for her brother, that she learned just how real magic was.

"She never doubted you, huh?"

"I think if she had known me at the time, she would have been able to sense it. It's just one of those things where you can almost feel it. Where your hearts are connected in a sense."

"I see." Freddie smiled as John pushed his hands into his pockets. "Dad, you know I've always been proud of you. I'll talk to Isis. You know, she is that dog that used to be on the force, before her owner dumped her."

"Well talk to her, the police force could use her back on the force. Axel seemed happy to see her." Freddie nodded and looked up at the stairs, he hoped Sam and Carly were doing okay.

Sam had been shocked when she entered Carly's room, Shadow was lying on the bed at Carly's feet. Of all things, She never fathomed she'd be seeing Carly with a dog before, much less, Shadow. "W-When did you get a dog? I thought you were terrified of them?"

"I was, but Shadow protected me. He never left my side. He doesn't have a home, either." Sam wasn't sure exactly how she should respond to Carly, she didn't want to tell her about her life. Not just yet. Although Jonah had been accepting when he found out, she was still actually afraid of Carly's reaction.

"So if he doesn't have a home, does that mean he's a stray?"

"No, his collar says he comes from some adoption agency on a farm. He's an old man, maybe I should go to that farm and tell them I want to adopt him." Sam's eyes widened briefly and she shook her head vigorously.

"No, you should just keep him. Who cares about the details and the small stuff?"

"Sam. It's wrong." Sam sighed and crossed her arms. She agreed with Carly, it wasn't right to just take the dog without question. Plus Carly would need Shadow's papers. She couldn't let Carly go to the farm though, there was too much evidence that Sam lived there.

"Look, you've had a traumatic day, how about I do this one nice thing for you, just this once. I'll go find this farm and say you want to keep him. I'm sure they have papers and records for him. It's the best I can do for you."

"You'd do that?" Sam was right, she didn't want to leave the building at all. Perhaps if they allowed it, Sam could put her name down as the owner and adopt the dog for her. Carly hugged Shadow and smiled brightly, it was one of the happiest she'd seen Carly since the attack. Shadow was really right for her. Sam smiled and gave Carly a hug.

"Of course I would. I'm glad that you're okay, Carly."

"Thanks. You know, something really weird happened to one of those kidnappers." Sam tilted her head as Carly took a deep breath. She had a feeling Sam wouldn't believe her, but there was nothing she could do about that. She just had to tell someone about it. "This one guy turned into an actual _snake_. It was weird. He started glowing and shouting, then turned into a snake and began slithering away."

"Really? How…odd." Was Carly using a metaphor or being serious? How could anyone turn into an animal? It had to be the work of some strange magic, but she didn't really understand magic. "Um, anyway, would you like me to stay with you for a little bit and then go to that farm?"

"Sure, why not. I could use a friend."

"Okay." Sam sat next to Shadow and started petting his neck, she was very happy for him. Carly couldn't understand why Sam was so adamant about not letting Carly go to the farm, she actually had always wanted to see one. She loved horses, and they were almost always on farms. If the farm where Shadow was from had horses, it would be magnificent to see them. She actually had never seen a horse in person and would love to ride one.


	20. Discovering Magic

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 19 (Discovering Magic)

Sam started heading back to her farm with Freddie, she was deep in thought about Carly's words. They had talked a little about the lady that Carly ran into, Madame Fontessa, and were entirely confused about the whole process of magic. It seemed Carly found it so real what she had seen, so if people could turn into animals due to magic, could animals turn into people? Only that woman might explain well enough. Sam stopped suddenly and looked down to Amato, she had received him as well as Snowflake from Madame Fontessa.

Freddie looked up at her and let a concerned whimper escape his throat. What if Amato and Snowflake were human at one point of time? Was that possible? No, it couldn't be possible. She shook her head and continued on home, opening the front door and letting Amato run through the house. Freddie intended to tell the others of Shadow's adoption. Sarah and Dave spotted her and smiled warily.

"How is Carly doing, sweetie?" Sarah asked while standing from the table. Dave sipped his coffee and looked over at his daughter. He hoped Carly was okay as well. Neither parents were too fond of Sam always feeling insecure of Carly, but it wasn't either of the girls' faults. They did still wish, however, that Sam would consider telling Carly the truth. Not just Carly, but everyone.

"She's doing great actually," Sam said with a small smile. "You'll never believe what happened, Carly fell in love with Shadow! He was with her through the entire ordeal and stayed with her, he kept her comforted."

"That's great," Dave responded. He had noticed Shadow's absence, and since he wasn't with Sam now, that must mean he was in the process of adoption. "So when's Carly coming over, sweetheart?" Sam frowned and her parents glanced at each other warily, Carly really wasn't going to be over. Dave let out a heavy sigh and started to make his way to the office. "I'll grab the papers."

"You still haven't told her?" Sarah asked with a frown. Why don't you allow your friends to see the real you? Jonah and Valerie seem nice, and you've told them about your life." She was glad that Sam had at least told those two, but it really was Carly that kept her from being herself. "Above all else, you should be true to yourself, to who you are. Don't you realize that your father and I are worried you might be ashamed of us?"

"I could never be ashamed of you guys, or my life. I just-"

"You're worried your friends might tease you," Dave said as he walked out and handed the papers to Sam. "What do you care more about? Your life here on the farm and these animals, or what your friends think of you?"

"Dad…" Sam frowned and turned her eyes downcast, she hadn't really ever thought of that. She loved her life, she loved taking care of animals, and was looking forward to being a future veterinarian. She lived for the smile Carly had on her face when she held Shadow, or the way Spencer's face just beamed when he realized Cheeto was just the right cat for him.

"Now get those papers to Carly. Go on…Supper will be ready for you when you get home." Sam smiled and nodded her head. And above all else, she loved her parents most of all.

"I love you Mom, Dad."

"We love you too dear," Sarah said as she gave Sam a gentle hug. With that, Sam was well on her way back to Carly's apartment. She made a pit stop when she spotted Madame Fontessa's shack, it had her name on a large sign outside the building. Thinking about her conversation with Carly, she made her way in the building. When she entered, she spotted several magical items. She couldn't believe a place like this existed.

"Wow…" She stopped in the center and looked past a nearby counter. There was a doorway with a purple sheet hanging down over it. She waited for a moment and swallowed, feeling the mystic aura of the place. She hesitated from moving and watched as Madame Fontessa walked through the curtain and eyed her.

"Hello dearie, what brings you here?" The woman asked while clasping her hands at her waist. Sam looked around once more and the lady crossed over her arms and smiled subtly. "You did not come for the magic, did you? You have questions for old Madame Fontessa?"

"Um, yeah I guess so, if you have the time."

"I have all the time in the world. Come with me." Sam followed the woman into the back and took her seat at a table. She was surprised to see it wasn't a séance table. "So my dear, what would you like to know?"

"My friend says she saw someone start glowing and turn into a snake…" Madame Fontessa rubbed her chin in thought and inhaled slowly. "Not only that, but she also says you tried to give her some potion."

"Yes, to help her overcome her fears, but she did not need it." Sam nodded and leaned back in her seat, tapping the table with her fingers. She was very nervous in here, and wondered who would actually ever want to use magical devices. "So why have you come here? You must be searching for something, otherwise you would not be here."

"Searching for something?" Sam looked at her hands and frowned. Maybe she wanted to know where Freddie was, maybe she wanted to believe magic was real and Freddie was actually a dog somewhere, but she couldn't believe that. Why would he be a dog? Amato and Snowflake showed up at random on the very day he and Shannon disappeared, in the same place as their phones were. Yet she just looked at it as pure coincidence. "I don't know that I am."

"Do not lie my dear." Madame Fontessa slowly rose from her seat and walked over to a shelf that held an array of magical devices. She smiled and investigated them with her eyes. "I can see your heart, you worry for that boy" Sam's eyes widened and her face grew red, she quickly shook her head and scoffed.

"Yeah right, like I could care for that dork. He makes me want to puke." Madame Fontessa frowned and turned around, she could tell Sam was lying once more. It was easy to detect these things.

"You lie about your family, you lie to your friends, and above all else, you are not true to yourself. Why? Is it because you fear rejection?" Sam frowned and shifted her eyes to the side, she could swear this woman was beginning to creep her out. How could she see into someone's heart so well? "I do know what is in your heart, it is why I give away all of my magical items."

"Yeah, I noticed there were no prices on anything."

"No, they have their own prices and fees. To me, there is no use for monetary value. I simply wish to help people learn more about themselves. To grow, to learn, to gain experience, it is what I want everyone to have." That didn't seem like such a bad deal, the lady did seem to know what she was doing. "Not all of my items are necessarily used for that purpose, either. Sometimes I may have to craft something to counter a different item's effect."

"Such as?" Sam breathed in as the elder closed her eyes and pulled her lips back slightly.

"For instance, if someone misuses one of my items. There are some things that I can't create a counter to, that people must learn on their own."

"Oh." She wasn't sure if she understood entirely, but what the woman was saying did make a little sense. She still wasn't sure whether to believe any of these items actually worked at all. "People actually use these things?"

"Yes. You do not believe in the powers behind them?" Madame Fontessa picked up a jar of multi-colored dust and set it on the table. Carefully opening the jar, she reached in and pulled out a handful. Sam watched with eager interest as the lady held her closed hand above the table. "Butterfly dust. What do you think will happen?"

"I'm not sure, to be perfectly honest." The woman smiled and tossed the powder in the air, where it hovered and slowly formed a very beautiful monarch butterfly. Sam's eyes went wide with awe and wonder, she'd never seen something quite like that before. "Oh my god, how did that happen?"

"Magic." The butterfly gracefully landed on Sam's shoulder and closed its wings together. Sam gasped and slowly smiled, everything seemed so real. "You know, you are not the first to have ever come to my shack, searching for answers. That boy you seek, Freddie Benson, had come here once himself, long ago."

"Really?" A pang of fear hit her, what if Freddie misused an item and was gone? Where could he be? "How long ago?"

"It was many months ago, do not fear child." She breathed out a breath of relief and closed her eyes, there wasn't reason to worry, then. "However as a result, his mind became clouded with confusion, so much so that he would need some help in order to clear it away and learn what he really wants."

"Wait, you're saying he actually _used_ one of your items?" Madame Fontessa slowly nodded and Sam let out a small groan, she couldn't believe Freddie would do something so crazy. Why would he be so stupid? "Magic isn't the reason he's disappeared, is it?" She bit her lip and the wise lady frowned, she knew Sam wouldn't like the answer.

"Unfortunately, my magic is the reason he's vanished, but it is not his cause. He had been the victim of someone giving the right item to the wrong person, and that is what caused him to vanish away."

"I'm afraid I don't understand exactly…" The butterfly floated off and the elder simply gave a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"It is okay. Your heart is still ambivalent to this magic and it is still hurting. I am afraid that is all I can help you with." Sam slowly stood up, she wanted to know why is that she wasn't offering her any items to help her with herself. Why was she being excluded?

"Aren't you going to offer me something? I mean…"

"It is not for everyone. You, my dear, do not need magic to learn the lesson your heart has to teach you. You are fine without any supernatural solutions to your problems." Sam slowly nodded her head and gave a small sigh, she really needed to hurry the adoption papers over to Carly. "Now go give those papers to your friend, I believe she's waiting."

"Uh, how did you-"

"You've been clutching those papers all this time, they say adoption on the top." The woman pointed to the papers in Sam's hand, causing her to blush and let out a nervous chuckle. That was just obvious, anyone could have pointed it out. The little magic shack was just starting to get to her, that was all.

"Right. Well thanks for everything, I guess."

"Come back anytime, sweetie." Sam hurried out of the building and began making her way to Carly's. She really didn't know what to make of everything that was said and done. Freddie was gone, and it was due to some improper use of magic. Now, when talking about being gone, vanishing, the question of how was what came to mind. Anything could happen if magic was involved. She decided not to think too much on it and just move on, trying her best to stay strong through everything.

* * *

So Sam paid a visit to Madame Fontessa. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave a review if you will ^_^


	21. Isis Is Adopted

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

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Chapter 20 (Isis is Adopted)

The time had come for Spaz to finally be adopted by Rueben, Shannon was eager with anticipation while Sam was wanting to hide, although she didn't really think she needed to. Rueben would probably realize this was her home anyway, so what did it matter if she hid or not?

Rueben had called early in the morning, saying he'd be over some time in the late afternoon, so she had plenty of time to prepare. Dave was busy preparing Spaz's adoption papers, so Sam had to prepare Isis's adoption papers. Apparently Mr. Benson was coming by to adopt Isis onto the canine unit. He was bringing Axel and Buckley along as well. He wanted to make completely sure that the three would get along.

As for the dogs being adopted, all the animals were throwing a celebration. Spaz and Isis were currently the center of attention. As Freddie spoke with the two, Shannon stared at the orb that had been retrieved from Madame Fontessa. She was going to try and get Rueben alone, if he was the right one, she would finally become human again. If it worked, she wanted to maintain a good relationship with Sam, Freddie, and the others.

"So you think this will really work?" Shannon asked as she looked over at Powder. The cat shrugged and smiled positively, she didn't like being negative about anything and honestly believed that it would go well. "Remember, if it does, I'm adopting you."

"I know, I'm happy about finally having a home." She loved the prospect of adoption, and craved the life of a new home. As fun as it was on the farm, she just always ended up fighting those depressing feelings that nobody wanted her, it was what made her one of the sweeter animals, because she always tried so hard to remain positive. "What do you think about Isis finally getting her dream?"

"She deserves it. Ever since she got dumped here…" This day was the happiest anyone had ever seen Isis, she was truly ecstatic. As for Spaz, he was insanely nervous, but evidently Shannon told him Rueben would be a great owner for him. There was no reason to be afraid.

"I'm still scared," Spaz said as he talked to Freddie and Scooter. "What if he doesn't like me?"

"He _will_ like you, he's already seen you hasn't he?" Freddie noted with a smile. Spaz shrugged as Isis patted him gently. Freddie looked at her and sighed, she was the last animal who would probably be the most knowledgeable. Isis had already given Freddie a complimentary tour and explanation of the entire farm. Every nook and cranny possible. When they had finished, Freddie had been completely exhausted.

"Looks like we're having to hand the torch over to you," Isis said with a smirk. She knew out of the animals left, Scooter, Shannon, and Powder, Freddie was the best suited to take care of them. "Make sure everyone gets adopted."

"I will do that, don't worry about a thing." Isis smiled and felt a tear fall from her face, she really was getting emotional, she hated to admit that she was ever emotional.

"God, I've been here so long…" She looked out over the farm and sat down. Every day there, while fun and intriguing, felt like an eternity. Though, she would be forever indebted to Sam for giving her a home and caring for her.

"Are you glad a police officer finally recognized your ability?"

"Yeah…" Isis snickered and glanced at Freddie from the side. "Your _father _is the officer_. _If you want to talk irony…"

"You know, he figured me out."

"Must be some sort of connection. A parent just _knows_ these kind of things." Freddie nodded as the dogs entered the house and found Sam looking for them. They barked and she quickly made her way to Isis, giving her a teary-eyed hug.

"Isis, Spaz, I'm going to miss you guys so much!" Sam cried out. She'd spent so much time with those two that she honestly had considered adopting them herself a couple times. "Isis, I guess you won't be around for this, girl…" Isis tilted her head as Sam rubbed her neck. "In about a week or so, we're getting a brand new batch of animals from the shelter." Freddie smiled and rested on the ground near the door. He knew his work was with the original batch of animals, he knew he was starting to learn whatever lesson was needed to know, and was prepared to continue learning. Not everything was about him, he knew this now. He knew he wasn't as selfish as he used to be and had a better understanding of the world around him. Now he just wanted to know when he would return to normal. What he did know was it wasn't happening until at least every animal was adopted and his heart and mind were matched up.

"Well Freddie, it looks like you'll be able to meet a whole new batch of people soon. How long has it been since you've been here? A month?" Yes, it had been nearly a full month since he and Shannon had been turned into animals. A full month, and he still was tormented by confusion, although he knew one thing for sure, he did not pine for Carly any longer.

"Yeah, and I'll look forward to the new bunch."

"Assuming you're still a mutt by then." Isis smirked and Freddie playfully bared his teeth. He was eager to have one last romp in the yard if she wanted to fight. Sam slowly stood up as the doorbell rang, Mr. Benson must have arrived.

"Well Isis, it looks like your new owner's here," Sam said while holding back a near sob. She was extremely happy for Isis, but sad as well. She walked to the door and opened it, greeting John with a smile and petting Axel and Buckley. "Hey Mr. Benson, you're here for Isis?"

"Yeah." Sam felt guilty about Freddie's disappearance, so being around Freddie's dad was a bit depressing for her. Though, she did have the utmost respect for the man. She led him inside and Isis stepped forward, standing strong and meeting John's eyes. He smiled and knelt beside her, placing his hand on her head. "Hello Isis, I've brought your friends with me. Axel and Buckley. I thought you might like to see them, they're around the station all the time, so you'll probably make fast friends with them."

"Good to see you again," Buckley said with a smile. Isis smiled at him and Axel made his way over to the two. John slowly stood up and looked over to Sam, he was ready to get her papers and finally take her home with her. Sam led him into the next room over and let Isis play with the other dogs. "You get the more fun assignments probably, since you're going to be partnered up with Captain Benson. He's actually up for promotion, he'll be the Assistant Chief in a month or two."

"Wow!" Isis's eyes widened in awe, she didn't know John was that highly ranked. She knew he had to be ranked highly enough to have such a commanding tone, but to be a Captain on the verge of promotion was amazing. The ranking system was as such, beginning with a police officer, then Sergeant, then moving on up to a Lieutenant, then Captain, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, and finally the Chief of Police.

"Yeah, the whole thing with the chase about a week ago really sped up the process," Axel stated while looking around the house. He liked the calming atmosphere. It would be a perfect place to actually be living if you had a designated owner. "This is a nice home, but I can understand it not feeling like a home to some…"

"All an animal wants is to be loved, to have an owner. A house means nothing if that condition is not met." Axel could easily understand that. He was really sorry that the police officer had dumped Isis away like she was nothing, it was wrong of him to do. Isis was clearly still a great police dog.

"It's good to have you back on the force, Isis." Buckley grinned and quickly piped up, he and Axel wanted to let Isis know about the hero medals they received, but didn't want to show them off until she had received hers.

"Isis, Captain Benson's kept the medal meant for you for that big chase and rescue. We want to give it to you when we get back to the station. It's in his desk." Isis blushed and slowly moved her paw along the ground nervously. Damn it felt good to be recognized.

"I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy being there. It feels good to be back."

"You're not back just yet, you know." Axel and Buckley smirked as Isis chuckled, they had a point. There was no reason to celebrate just yet, not until they finally reached the station, and then finally, home. Now _that_ felt good. The trio talked for a few more moments until John finally walked back in the room and showed the papers off with a grin.

"Well Isis, are you ready to finally get going to your new home?" John asked. Isis barked happily and the two others joined her. John laughed as Isis quickly jumped up, placing her paws on him and wagging her tail joyously. Axel and Buckley couldn't help but snicker, so she shot them a death glare and they quickly stopped. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

"Goodbye Isis," Freddie said with a sad smile. It was an emotional time for everyone, they all felt as if they were losing their matriarch, considering she _was_ actually the second oldest of them all, being just a few years younger than Shadow. Sassy had been the third eldest, at four years. The rest had been two years or younger, save Sugar who had turned three a week ago. Isis walked over to Freddie and narrowed her eyes at him, smiling slightly.

"You say goodbye, but you know you'll be seeing me again," she commented. It was true, but she didn't know just how long it would be before Freddie was human once more. Scooter quickly ran into the room and leapt up onto Isis's back.

"I don't want you to _go!_" Scooter cried out. He was the one that would miss her most of all. Isis sighed and shook him off of her.

"Hey, you got Freddie here. You'll be fine. It's time for me to go now, so goodbye." She patted his head and chuckled, she was actually slightly happy to not have to worry about him running into her every single day anymore. She couldn't help but to admit that she would actually miss him, along with everyone of the others.

"Come on Isis!" Axel said from the doorway. Buckley barked and repeated Axel's statement.

"Yeah, Axel and I need to be back to our own owners pretty soon," Buckley quipped out. Their owners wanted them back by three, it was now two thirty. The time for goodbyes were over. Isis yipped happily and ran over to them. All of the animals watched wistfully as Isis and John left, heading towards his cruiser.

"She's really gone," Shannon said quietly. She stood to Freddie's left, with Powder on her left. Scooter sat down on the right of Freddie and Spaz stepped next to Scooter. Sam breathed out a sigh and slowly shut the door, that was one adoption done, but the busy day just wasn't quite over yet.

"I miss her already," Powder pointed out. She hated to say goodbye to good friends, but when the time came, the time would come. Shannon sniffed and continued staring at the door.

"Freddie?"

"Yeah Shannon?" He responded quietly.

"Promise me that after we become humans again, we'll still be friends. You're like a brother to me, I don't want to lose that."

"After all this, I don't believe we could ever not be friends with one another." Shannon smiled as Freddie closed his eyes, he wanted to try and find all the animals when he returned to human form. Perhaps, he could be a pet sitter or something for the time being.

"So then, that's a promise?"

"Yes. It's a promise to you, and I guess a promise to all the others as well."

* * *

Well there you have it, Isis finally adopted! Shannon and Freddie share a sweet brotherly-sisterly moment, everyone say 'aww' XD lol. I just did my research, thought REVENGE FOR CARLY was my most popular iCarly story, but it seems I was way wrong. PATERNAL BONDS steals the show. I'm thinking of completely rewriting it (but keeping PB origional on the site for obvious reasons). That way I can go fishing XD. Catch some new readers while reeling in the older ones. (As if DOG DAYS hasn't done much of that already, lol. It's actually become one of my more popular ones too, HAH!

Sorry bout that, anyway review and stay tuned for the next chapter! XD


	22. Shannon's Heart

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 21 (Shannon's Heart)

A few hours passed and finally, it was time for Rueben to arrive. Sam decided not to hide, having given some thought to Madame Fontessa's words, and the feelings of her parents. She still was wary on letting Carly know about her life, but thankfully, she was starting to overcome the fear of rejection.

It was as people were saying, be true to oneself, and everything should work out. Jonah and Valerie had come over as well, since they felt a bit awkward about Rueben. He seemed different, from his tone over the phone, but they wanted to make sure he truly was over Sam and that he would only be here for Spaz. Things had been working out well between the two, Jonah was almost the perfect boyfriend to Valerie. Sure he had a few faults, quirks that Valerie just loved or found funny, but there was nothing about him that she didn't like.

Shannon was nervously pacing around with the crystal orb in her mouth, Freddie had decided to help her out. They were going to get Rueben outside and Sam inside somehow, but it required Scooter sacrificing his cleanliness. He hated it, but Freddie managed to calm him and convince him to go through with it.

"I still don't see how this is going to work," Scooter said with a frown, he was still shooting for a different plan of action. "You _know_ how I hate baths." Freddie was working with him on his fear of baths, but the poor pup was still terrified of the water.

"You know, you're not afraid to go for a swim, why are you so afraid of baths?" Freddie asked as he and Scooter watched Shannon pace the dog room. They needed to get Shannon to calm down somehow, considering how nervous she was. "Any way you look at it, you know it's the only way to get Sam's attention. She isn't going to let you back in the house when you're covered in mud."

"I _know_. I'm going to fight this until the bitter end. You do know that, right?" Freddie laughed and started walking over to Shannon. She stopped suddenly and looked at him with a whimper. She gently placed the orb on the ground and sighed, moving her jaw back and forth to regain the feeling.

"I'm scared, Freddie."

"I'm aware of that. Just keep in mind, there's a chance it could work out for you. I have a pretty good feeling about this."

"What if this thing doesn't glow? What if he's the wrong person?"

"If it doesn't glow, don't let him touch the orb. If it does, let him touch the orb. Let him throw it, then you can transform."

"Yeah, what could go wrong with this plan?" Scooter asked with a subtle smirk. He was definitely going to have to get Freddie back for this when it was all said and done. Then again, if it worked, that meant Shannon would be gone, along with Powder and Spaz. He never thought he'd be the _last_ animal to be adopted out of all of them. "Oh great…I just realized something…"

"What's that?" Scooter shook his head and slowly walked out of the room. Freddie and Shannon exchanged concerned looks and shrugged, they'd never really seen Scooter act like that. After a moment of silence, he came running back in.

"Guys, he's here! Rueben is here!"

"What?" They ran out of the room in time to see Rueben walking over to the couch. He was being questioned by Jonah and Valerie. They were on the other side of the couch, Jonah had his arm around Valerie's shoulders.

"I never imagined you two would be together," Rueben said while leaning against the armrest. "I'm glad you guys are happy."

"Yeah, she's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me," Jonah said as he gave Valerie a quick peck on the lips. Rueben smiled and nodded his head, he always had respect for couples who seemed so in love. Jonah straightened himself and looked at Rueben seriously. "Now, as Sam's friends, we're wanting to talk to you about some things while she goes to collect Spaz." The dog was hiding, it was part of the plan as well.

"Yeah, we know you had a thing for her," Valerie said quietly. Rueben frowned and rubbed his knees once, he really didn't relish the memory of Sam. "You don't still have a thing for her, do you? I mean, it's not a _bad_ thing if you still like her, but-"

"No." Jonah and Valerie were stunned by the abruptness and bluntness of his answer. He looked downward and slowly shook his head. "I don't care for her as more than a friend, I moved past that a long time ago."

"Wow," Jonah replied slowly. He didn't know Rueben would be so quick to deny any kind of attachment to Sam. Then again, it wasn't impossible. "So, what do you think of the farm?"

"It's different than she leads people to believe about her, I'll never really understand why." Rueben looked up at the ceiling and leaned back, placing his hands behind his head. "She seems nicer than she told me, at least. I wonder if Carly and Freddie know about this."

"Carly doesn't know anything about her life." Jonah purposely left Freddie out of the statement, but nobody really caught it, or cared.

"She should tell people. I can tell it's hurting her parents." When he arrived, he met the parents and they seemed so happy when Sam decided not to hide her life from him. "You know what's been eating me, though?"

"What?"

"Gibby. He and I don't really hang out much anymore." Reuben ran his hand through his hair and sighed. His friendship with Gibby really waned after the whole crush on Shannon. Even after it was all said and done, they never really were able to move past that. "The whole double date was just so screwed up, it should never have happened."

"Why do you say that?" Valerie asked curiously. Rueben shifted his eyes to the side and shrugged. He didn't like Shannon being with Freddie. As a matter of fact, he hated how she had eyes for him.

"You think I wanted Shannon and Freddie to be paired up?" Shannon and Freddie looked at each other awkwardly and then glanced back at Rueben. It seemed the boy's eyes were narrow and filled with annoyance. "I never got to tell her that before she vanished. Now she's gone, and…well…" His eyes softened and the couple on the couch frowned. Now Jonah was wishing he could say Shannon was there.

"He misses me?" Shannon asked quietly, wondering if that was the look in his eyes. Freddie could see that was the case and smiled at her.

"Yeah, it looks that way."

"I would give anything to have her with me," Rueben said as his hands closed up.

"I take it you two were close friends?" Jonah asked sympathetically.

"Close?" Rueben raised an eyebrow and looked over at him with an almost depressive look. "Jonah, we were closer than that. Much closer…Sometimes I think to myself, why had I not said all the things that I should have said to her before she vanished? Instead, I have to have this stupid nervous reaction!"

"Well Jonah, you have to admit, Shannon was always around whenever Rueben was talking to Sam," Valerie said with a nervous chuckle. Jonah gave a brief nod as Rueben looked to the back door where Sam had gone out of. Spaz had to be out there, since Sam had checked the entire house.

"I often thought of her when thinking of Sam…" He stood up and crossed his arms, he wanted to meet his new dog. He was eager to finally have a pet. He wouldn't feel so alone anymore, he didn't really have any family. He was the only child and both his parents were almost always gone. As for friends, his nervous habit pretty much killed that. "I'm going out back to see if Sam's found Spaz yet."

"Good idea." Jonah and Valerie opted to stay inside, there wasn't any need for them to be out there. Scooter and Freddie followed Rueben outside while Shannon went to retrieve the orb. She was reeling over what Rueben had said. If he was true, then that meant he liked her. Could that really be the case? Her heart was joyous and pounding swiftly as she raced to her orb, then raced outside. Jonah raised his eyebrow and sighed, she heard everything.

"You find Spaz yet?" Sam was standing outside the chicken coop and looking inside. She nodded and called for Spaz, she could see him hiding behind the chickens. Rueben walked up to her and looked over in time to see Scooter running wild through the yard. "That dog's pretty crazy."

"Huh?" Sam looked over and gasped. It had rained recently and Scooter was running through every possible puddle he found. "Scooter, no, stop running!" She ran after him, but he picked up speed and charged into the pigpen. Balloon grunted as Scooter ran over him and dove into the mud. Sam shouted and threw her hands into her hair as Scooter then ran towards the area where the horses were and began rolling around in horse manure. "No! Bad dog!"

"Damn it hurts to be scolded by her," Scooter said as he stopped running and drooped his ears down. He walked up to her and whimpered. She groaned and waved her hand over her nose.

"Ugh, you smell. That's it, you need a bath right away!" He whined as she quickly picked him up and looked apologetically at Rueben. "I'm so sorry, please…"

"Don't worry about it, I'll just hang around a bit," Rueben responded, waving off the issue. "Give him a bath and we'll get Spaz afterwards."

"Okay. I won't be long." Sam walked inside the house, passing Freddie in the process. Scooter merely grinned at his smirking friend. Rueben sighed and looked down as Shannon walked up to him with her orb. She was ecstatic when it began to glow.

"Aw, you want to play fetch?" Shannon placed the glowing orb on the ground and barked happily. Freddie was pleasantly surprised to see it glow. This could only mean Shannon was well on her way to returning to human form. It brought tears to his eyes. "Okay, here goes nothing. I should warn you, I have a good arm."

"I don't care, just throw the ball," Shannon muttered impatiently. Her eyes widened as he reached down and picked up the orb. The action was almost slowed to her as her heart pounded with anticipation. Rueben stared at the ball for a second and chuckled, it was a very odd looking ball, that was for sure.

"I've never seem a dog toy like this before." Rueben looked at Shannon as she jumped up into the air. For some reason, he felt really close to this dog. "You know, I had a friend who loved dogs, almost as much as cats. This one's for her. Now, fetch the ball!" Rueben threw the ball far and Shannon quickly ran after it. She leapt up and grabbed the ball in midair, tucking around the corner of a nearby building.

"It shone, it really did, now how long until I change back?" Shannon was more worried than she needed to be. Of course, she hadn't thought of how to explain herself when she did change back. She started to pick up the ball, but froze when she felt a strange sensation inside of her, a rumbling in her stomach. "Uh-oh."

She groaned and curled up on the ground, afraid the feeling was going to be painful. She had to think of how many bones and how much shifting of her body that she'd be doing. The curly white fur on her began to evaporate and her pinkish skin started to turn to a peach color. It worked, the orb actually worked! She closed her eyes for a full minute and opened them, finding herself curled up on the ground and in full clothing. She blinked and looked at her hands, making sure they were real.

"Oh my god, I'm back…I'm back! Yes!" Shannon leaped up and nearly fell back to the ground. She had to put her hand on the house to steady herself. "Whoa, that didn't feel good. I really lost the two leg feeling…" She quickly picked up the orb and grinned, kissing it. "Thank you!" Suddenly, she heard a cough and looked over to see Rueben with wide eyes. "Rueben! Hi…"

"Shannon? Where did the poodle go?" He looked at the ball in her hands and raised his eyebrow when it began to evaporate, no longer of any use. Shannon chuckled nervously and her hands fell to her side, her eyes locked onto his as he slowly started walking towards her.

"Would you believe I was the dog and magic turned me into it?"

"A-Are you okay?" Shannon glanced to the side to see Powder walking to her, mewing happily. She knew the kitten was talking to her, but she couldn't hear a word. She smiled slightly, Powder was really her soul pet. She held her arms out as the cat leapt up into them.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I wouldn't mind you helping me to stand, though. I mean, I'm feeling kind of wobbly."

"Um…sure…" He wasn't really struggling with his nervous habit, since he was more concerned about Shannon than he was nervous around her. She seemed to fall into his arms. Powder rolled her eyes and smiled, she knew Shannon was just doing that as an excuse for him to hold her. "So…you've been a _dog_ for a whole month?"

"Yeah, but you might not want to tell anyone that. They'd probably find you to be a bit crazy."

"As if they don't already." Shannon sighed and closed her eyes, snuggling comfortably in his arms. Jonah had was seeing them through the window, so he took it upon himself to call Shannon's family. It hadn't been too long, she had told both Jonah and Freddie that she would tell her family she ran away because she felt suffocated. It made sense as well. "So about Freddie…" The last thing they talked about was actually Freddie, and Shannon had told him that she wanted to be with him.

"He is like a brother to me, he and I are only friends and I used him just to get close to a certain someone that I really wanted to be with…"

"Oh?" His eyebrows rose, he was very interested in hearing more. "So tell me more about-" Shannon quickly broke his sentence by kissing him full on the lips. His eyes widened with surprise as Powder quickly jumped down from Shannon's arms and looked up at her. When the two broke the kiss, Rueben's lips curled up into a smile. "So what are you doing next Friday?"

"Shannon?" A shocked voice cried out. Shannon and Rueben looked back to see Sam holding Spaz in her arms. Scooter and Freddie were standing on either side of her. Sam's eyes were wide and stunned. "What the hell? Where have you been all this time?"

"I've been away for a while, I guess." Rueben chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, he caught on that she wouldn't want people knowing she was a dog all this time, so he really didn't know what to say. Sam looked down at Shannon's legs to see Powder rubbing against them, she chuckled slightly and crossed her arms.

"It looks like Powder's taken a liking to you."

"Yeah, I kind of want to adopt her. Do you think I can?" She looked past Sam and saw Jonah and Valerie walking up behind her. Valerie was surprised to see her while Jonah merely had his arms folded over and kept a straight look on his face, he wasn't surprised at all. Although he was happy that she was human again.

"You might want to ask your mom and brother first," Jonah said as he leaned back against the house. Shannon raised her eyebrow as Sam looked over to Jonah. "I took the liberty of calling them and letting them know you were okay."

"Oh, so then they're…" She saw down the street, her family's car was speeding to the house. She paled nervously and Sam rolled her eyes, at this rate everyone was going to know about her life. She didn't care so much anymore, though. It wasn't long before the car was parked and Jeremy and her mom were running for her.

"Shannon!" Her mom cried out. "Oh my god you're alive!" Shannon grunted as her mom squeezed her tightly. Jeremy smiled at her and pushed his hands into his pockets, even though he was completely calm right now, he was entirely ecstatic inside.

"Yeah, I've been alive mom, can you please let me go?" The woman nodded and took a step back, she lowered her arms and frowned. Her face was red with tears. It was clear to everyone that Jeremy was the one that had driven.

"Your friend told me you...r-ran away from home. He said you felt suffocated, is that true?" Shannon frowned and slowly nodded her head.

"Yeah, I also told him to call you guys because I missed you." Tears started streaming from her eyes as she hugged her mom and her brother, she hated scaring them as much as she hated being away from them. "I'll never leave you again, I missed you so much! I love you and I'll never take you for granted again."

"I promise to try and not smother you so much, honey. By the way, you should meet Princess! We adopted her a month ago, she really loves being pampered." Shannon chuckled and Powder laughed inwardly. "In fact, we adopted her from this very farm, isn't that right Jeremy?"

"Yeah, I didn't know she was here though," Jeremy replied while pointing to Sam. Sam smiled warily and turned to him.

"I live here, the people you met were my parents. I was always afraid of how people would react to my life…"

"You shouldn't be!" Shannon said quickly, with pure excitement. Sam raised her eyebrows as Shannon gave her a hug. It was surprising to everyone, but she couldn't help herself, she'd grown so fond of her. "You do a great thing, and I don't think anyone would mind it at all what you do."

"Okay and how do you…" Sam thought for a minute and chuckled, closing her eyes and shaking her head. This was all to complex for her, anyway. There was too much going on. "Nevermind, I'm glad you're okay, Shannon."

"So are we," Jeremy said with a smile. He watched as Shannon picked Powder up and cradled her in her arms. "So…are you close to that cat?" He could easily tell, from the look in her eyes, Shannon wanted the kitten.

"Yes, I want to adopt her. Can I?"

"You can do whatever you want sweetheart," her mom replied tearfully. She wouldn't mind another kitten roaming the house, she really didn't care about that, she just wanted her daughter back. God she missed her so much. Sam smiled and closed her eyes, yet another animal was finally being adopted. What more, Powder would be going into the same family as Princess, which was _very_ good. The two cats had been together since birth, and Sam had been able to see that Powder had clearly missed the kitten.

"I'll go get those papers ready as well," Sam said with urgent happiness. God this day had been so busy and busy, there was no denying she would be deserving a big rest afterwards. She fully intended on cuddling with her dog on the couch or the bed when the day was over.

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Shannon's finally human again. Well, next chapter should be good, I'm sure you'll enjoy it ^_^


	23. Riding the Horses

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

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Chapter 22 (Riding the Horses)

Two weeks had passed and Freddie was on his way over to Carly's apartment, he had a plan of action that needed to be done. This was to help both Carly and Sam, hopefully he could help improve their relationship. He knew that Sam's pride might prevent her from ever telling Carly about her life, and he understood from both Shadow and Cheeto, that Carly probably wouldn't mind the fact that Sam lived on a farm. Hell, the lie was probably doing their friendship more damage than it was doing good.

Scooter was with Freddie, since he didn't want to be alone at the house. Sam and her family were at the shelter, gathering up the animals and papers they would need. There were going to be at least sixteen new animals on the farm. It would be crowded, but doable. Scooter told Freddie that Shadow had at seen the Pucketts with nearly thirty animals at one time. Their service was quickly becoming well known in the city, maybe one day they would be known throughout the state.

"So how are we going to do this?" Scooter asked, while sidestepping a puddle. He had an urge to step in it, but Freddie had taught him to avoid the puddles, especially if he wanted to avoid baths. He was becoming less and less fearful of baths, but still disliked them.

"You'll see, it's almost time for Shadow's scheduled walk. Carly takes him on a long walk for about an hour each day. It's a thirty minute walk to and from Sam's house, giving a perfect window of time for us to lead her there." Shadow and Freddie had often met up, since Freddie usually ended up heading out and about and seen Shadow whenever he was going for his walks. The two dogs made it to the doors of the building and Scooter stared up with a frown, he had no idea how they were going to get inside. "Well, all we can do now is wait for someone to open the doors for us."

"That's how you get around? Nobody ever stops and wonders where your human is?"

"Usually I try to keep myself unnoticed. If I am noticed, I shy away from the person, they don't often come towards me. If they do, I move away from them. This goes on until they either give up, or tire from chasing me around." Scooter laughed and sat down next to the building, he looked at them and sighed.

"So how long until someone comes out?"

"Right now, I'm just waiting for Carly and Shadow, since this plan is only involving him. She usually lets him lead her, so it won't be too difficult. Scooter nodded and waited for the two to leave the building. Freddie started counting down, since Shadow told him they were always on the dot. When Freddie reached zero, the doors opened and Shadow walked out the doors. Carly was right behind him, holding a leash.

"Hello you two," Shadow said with a smile. He often wished Carly wouldn't use the leash, but it was fine, considering there were occasions where she didn't use it. She trusted him not to leave her side. "So I guess we're going to go through with our plan? I sincerely believe both Sam and Carly will be grateful for this."

"Yeah, so do I. By the way, how is iCarly going, I haven't really thought much about the show…" Shadow understood and nodded as Carly started rubbing Scooter's belly. The pup was having the time of his life and moving his legs in the air with incredible speed.

"They sometimes have Spencer doing the camera work on iCarly, sometimes they don't. They really haven't had a regular technical producer." It was obvious they weren't doing iCarly as scheduled this week, Sam was too busy and couldn't do the show. She didn't know how to make Carly understand that her work was more important to her, especially considering she couldn't really tell her. "Sam told Carly she was working with her mom today, and she sounded bored…"

"Do you think Carly's going to be mad at Sam?" Scooter asked as he hopped onto his feet. Carly stood up and smiled at Shadow, shaking the leash and letting him know it was time to start walking. The three dogs began walking and Carly followed, not knowing where Shadow would lead her today.

"I'm honestly not sure." Carly was a good friend, so she should understand, but Sam had gone so long leading her to believe one way about her. She might be upset about it, there really was no way to tell. "I hope everything goes well."

"With as many animals as they're getting, today may not have been the best day for this," Shadow pointed out. It would be one of the busiest days for the family. "But it is the only time we can get Carly to the farm and Sam's family all out of the house at the same time." They wanted to get Carly accustomed with the farm. In fact, the horses were out in the field, so one of the Clydesdales, Boxer, was willing to let her ride her if they brought her to the farm.

"We'll just have to play it by ear, I guess." The dogs walked in silence, enjoying the beauty around them. Freddie honestly could say he was enjoying life as a dog, but he was missing his human life. iCarly was falling as well with him gone, the girls just were often too depressed to get started and losing ideas.

"We're in the country area?" Carly asked as the land began turning into seas of grass. She walked for another fifteen minutes and soon could see no more homes anywhere, just one really huge fence. "I-Is this a _farm_ we're coming up to?"

"So far, so good…" Shadow and Freddie barked and Scooter ran for the farm. Freddie sighed and slowly shook his head. "Come on Scooter, the time to be hyper is not now!"

"Hey, come back, puppy! I don't know this area!" Carly ran after Scooter and the other two dogs quickly followed after her. She had released the leash, so she could catch up with the pup. Scooter laughed while Freddie and Shadow exchanged smirks. Not even Sam could catch up with the dog, nobody had really ever been fast enough to catch him. He, Isis, and Sassy had always been the three fastest dogs on the farm.

"You're not catching me anytime soon!" Scooter yipped playfully, but to his surprise, just as he was reaching the fence, Carly grabbed him and picked him up. Freddie and Shadow stared with their mouths open, Carly actually caught him. "No! How the hell!"

"I'm trying out for track, and I can't let you wander around where I don't know…" Just then, a large black Clydesdale walked up to the fence, it was Boxer.

"Wow, someone actually caught you," Boxer said with a whinny and a laugh. Scooter narrowed his eyes and growled.

"Shut up!" He exclaimed. He squirmed and tried to break free from Carly's grasp. She was staring at the horse in awe, he was amazing. She then released Scooter and he screamed as he fell to the ground. "Damn it, you stunned her so much that she dropped me!"

"I wasn't aware she'd be in such awe of my magnificence. " Scooter rolled his eyes as Carly slowly approached the horse. He smiled and rested his head over the fence, he knew she'd probably want to pet him.

"You're a beautiful horse," Carly said as she lifted her hand and began to rub along the front of his muzzle. He shook his head and nodded it up and down. Scooter chuckled and bowed his head, Boxer was always reeling in the compliments. He was a bit cocky, but when it came to people complimenting him, he just couldn't help himself. Carly looked past the horse and saw someone feeding the pigs, it appeared to be a farmhand. He looked over at the horse and her eyes widened when she saw who it was. "Jonah?"

"Carly? What are you doing here?" Jonah asked as he blinked curiously. He looked at the dogs next to her and sighed, evidently they wanted to bring her to the farm, it was obvious.

"Shadow led me over here. Is this your farm or something?"

"Nah, it belongs to one of my friends…My girlfriend and I are taking care of the chores for her while she's out with her family."

"You have a girlfriend now?"

"Yep, speaking of which…I need to go find her. I think Val's in the chicken coop." Jonah didn't know how to react to Carly's appearance, he knew Sam wasn't going to be happy about this, but he didn't want to be cruel to Carly if she wanted to pet the horse. He ran into the chicken coop and found Valerie inspecting the eggs, seeing if they were good or bad. "Valerie, we have a problem!"

"What is it?" She asked while looking over at him. Sugar was next to her, chatting up with the chickens. She looked at Jonah and barked cheerfully.

"Carly's here."

"What?" Sugar whined nervously and the three ran outside to see Carly petting Boxer's neck. Carly glanced over and her eyebrows rose, she hadn't expected to see Valerie around.

"Valerie? You too?" Carly asked in shock. Now just who's farm was this? Valerie smiled kindly and clasped her hands together at her waist.

"Hi Carly, did the dogs bring you here?"

"Yeah, fancy seeing you again…"

"You still probably hate me, don't you?" Valerie looked down and frowned as Jonah gently placed his arm around her shoulder. The two were almost positive that Carly still wanted to maim them. Carly took a deep breath and slowly shook her head, smiling lightly.

"Not if you let me ride this horse." Valerie and Jonah raised their eyebrows and chuckled nervously, what choice did they have? They really didn't want to turn her away, especially not when Carly had that look of adoration in her eyes for the horse she was with. They wanted to be friendly with her, so at least she wouldn't still hate them for their pasts.

"Sure, hop over the fence," Jonah said with a slight shrug. Valerie nodded and Boxer grinned. "I'll go get his saddle."

"Thank you!" Carly climbed the fence while the dogs went under it. Valerie walked over and began rubbing Boxer's neck gently as Jonah moved to the horse's stable.

"This is Boxer," Valerie said as she began brushing his mane. "He's really friendly, and one of the easiest riders. It's almost like he craves the attention. I think he's a bit of a compliment seeker, he's the showiest of all the horses on the farm." Carly chuckled and played with Boxer's ear. "There are ten horses on this farm. Three of them are Clydesdales, those are my favorite horses. My favorite is Brianna. She and the other one, Baxter, were born at the same time. They're siblings. Brianna and Boxer are mates"

"I've never ridden a horse before…"

"That's okay, then it's a good idea to have a saddle for your first time. Jonah likes to ride Boxer, that's his favorite horse. Our friend rides with us all the time, so we mostly ride on Boxer, Baxter, and Brianna. The other horses are beautiful too, you should see them all!"

"Can I? Would you introduce me to them?"

"Sure, do you want to do that before or after the ride?"

"After." Valerie nodded and looked over at the stable in time to see Jonah walking out with the horse gear and with Brianna in tow.

"Hey, I thought you might want to ride too," Jonah said with a smile. Brianna whinnied and stepped next to Boxer, Valerie often rode her bareback. "Since I'm guessing Carly's a beginner, I'll have to make sure and lead Boxer from the side, so I got his reigns. He can go a bit fast, I try to make him do tricks and everything, so I need to be sure he walks. We don't want him running."

"Aw Jonah, do you really have to put that stuff on me?" Boxer asked while bowing his head. Jonah patted the horse and whispered in his ear.

"I have a bunch of oats in my pocket, so be willing and you might get some."

"Okay!" Jonah took a few minutes to set the gear up on the horse and attached a lead rope to Boxer's head collar. Valerie and Jonah helped Carly onto the horse and then Valerie got on Brianna's back.

"How does it feel, Carly?" Carly grinned as she sat straight up and gripped the reigns, she kept her feet in the triangles and felt extremely happy. She was thrilled to be riding on a horse. Valerie held onto Brianna's mane as her horse stepped up next to Boxer.

"I love this," Carly replied.

"Are you ready to start moving?" Carly nodded and Jonah tugged on the lead rope, signaling Boxer to start moving. Brianna quickly started walking with her. The pace was very calm and the wind was brilliant. It was a perfect day to ride the horses. "Here's a few oats, they're Boxer's favorite treat." Carly nodded and held the oats in her hand, Boxer then stopped moving and she stared at him inquisitively. Jonah chuckled and Valerie looked over. "He wants the oats now, evidently…"

"I can feed him?"

"Just lean forward and hold them out, he'll eat them from your hand." Carly nodded and did as instructed. Boxer then tenderly took the oats and began walking again. This sent waves of pleasure through Carly's body, she was having so much fun.

"Do you guys ever take them out of the farm?"

"Oh yeah, all the time," Valerie replied. They would ride the horses for miles and miles, just enjoying the scenery and the view. "You wouldn't believe the places there are around here that are perfect for riding. It all depends on the day and everyone's mood. For you though, we're staying in the fence. We're not sure when our friend will be back."

"She might not want you guys to let a stranger ride the horses?" Valerie and Jonah chuckled nervously and shook their heads. That wasn't the problem at all, the problem was how Sam might react to seeing Carly on her farm.

"No, we just don't want to shirk our duties. Today's going to be a busy day for her, so we're trying to get all the chores done so she and her family won't have to worry about them."

"Oh, I understand. You guys must be really good friends." The two smiled and nodded their heads, they loved Sam, she was really good to them.

"She was willing enough to overlook both our pasts, we were very thankful."

"There was a lot of guilt there," Jonah said firmly, staring straight ahead. "People don't tease Valerie anymore, I make damn sure they leave her alone."

"Yeah, what's done is done," Carly said with a sigh. She knew there was no going back when something happened, there was only moving forward. She didn't want to talk about the past either, seeing as how both of them seemed like it was a sensitive subject. "So who is your friend, anyway?" Jonah winced and Valerie slowly closed their eyes, they were not sure how to answer that. They continued walking around the peremiter of the fence, it had been a good twenty minutes before they reached the stable.

"You really wouldn't believe us if we told you…" The girls got off of the horse and led them into the stable. Carly gasped and her attention became focused on the other horses, they were gorgeous. "Well, let's give you a good rundown on the horses here."

"The first horse on the right is an American Paint Horse." There were five gates on either side, so she turned towards the horse Valerie pointed out and walked up to her. She was white with a few brown patches, her hair was blonde and reached all the way to her hooves. "She's about six months pregnant."

"She's beautiful…"

"Yes she is. She's a bit prissy too. Now in the next pen is an Appaloosa Mare and Fawn, they are never apart, and also least to be ridden right now. Then in the next pen is Baxter!" Carly smiled and started rubbing Baxter's mane. He was an incredible looking Clydesdale, very strong and robust in appearance. They quickly moved on to the next pen, where a strong Mustang horse sat, he was neighbor to a second mustang. Carly was having the time of her life, but that was soon cut short.

"Jonah? Valerie! Where are you guys?" A voice called out from outside the stable. Valerie and Jonah swallowed and Carly froze up, she easily recognized Sam's voice. "We're back with the new animals!"

"Is that _Sam?"_ Carly asked as she quickly began running from the stable. Jonah smacked his forehead and Valerie groaned, they didn't see this ending well at all.

* * *

Well looks like Carly had fun. Let's see how the next chapter goes. Review ^_^.


	24. Surfacing of True Feelings

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: I'm uploading two chapters in a row for a reason. I love this story and am immensely proud to have written it all, but I'm itching to finally, after two years of collecting dust, to finally post it as "complete."

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Chapter 23 (Surfacing of True Feelings)

It had been a long day at the adoption shelter, and with a low amount of animals left, the Puckett family need to "restock" on their canine and feline friends. They had brought all the new animals home with them in one large van and started bringing them in the house, they would now need to name them and begin socializing them. Sam decided to go find Jonah and Valerie, since they wanted to help name them. There were more animals than they'd expected, so they had twenty animals, eleven dogs and nine cats.

Sam was exhausted, she had to keep all of the animals calm during the car ride, as was customary for every new batch. Thankfully the van had been large enough to squeeze in every one of them, if there had been any more, they would have needed to make two trips. She took a deep breath and stepped outside. "Jonah! Valerie! Where are you guys? The animals are here!" It came to her as a shock when she saw none other than Carly running out of the horse stables. Her eyes widened fearfully as Jonah and Valerie followed her outside. "Carly?"

"Sam, she walked here with Shadow," Valerie said as she and Jonah made their way over to her. "She saw Boxer and wanted to ride him…"

"Y-Yeah, Shadow and the other two dogs led me here," Carly said quietly. Sam raised her eyebrow and looked over to see Shadow, Scooter, and Amato making their way over. They'd been playing around all this time with Sugar, who had gone inside to eat. "What are you doing on this farm?"

"I _live_ here," Sam said as she crossed her arms. There was no sense in lying to Carly anymore, considering she'd probably catch on. Sarah and Dave walked out to try and find Sam, spotted Carly and froze. Carly looked at them and saw them slowly sink back into the house to take care of the animals.

"So wait…you always told me you lived in a dump. This is, well this is hardly a _dump_."

"Yeah, I know." Sam looked to the side and lowered her arms, here it came. She didn't care anymore, though. If Carly was going to reject her for living on a farm, so be it. Then again, she was surprised to hear Valerie say Carly wanted to ride the horses. "Amato always has been the type of dog to do whatever he wants, so has Shadow. I'm not surprised they led you here, to be honest." Sam knelt down and started petting Shadow, she knew he was a smart dog, and maybe this was their way of telling her not to hide her life anymore. "I was wrong to not tell anyone about my life, it's been hurting my parents too…" She looked back to the door and saw that it was cracked, her parents quickly hid from sight. They were eavesdropping on her. She chuckled and smiled softly. "I love them."

"So all those things you told me about your mom."

"Not true. Well…mostly anyway." She smirked playfully and heard Sarah cough. "My mom is the head doctor at the nearby hospital and my father is a businessman. We work also with the animal shelter and work hard to give the animals good homes." She moved over to Scooter and began rubbing his belly, she was proud to see he was not dirty at all. "No bath for you today, little one."

"Yes!" Scooter cheered as he leapt happily in the air. Freddie laughed and Shadow rolled his eyes, smiling gently. Sam's eyes beamed happily and Carly stared at her friend with shock. She realized that she knew nothing about Sam. Why had she kept all this from her? What was the problem?

"I want to be a veterinarian one day, and I actually stay with Ms. Briggs willingly, giving her tips on how to take care of her pet birds. She has parrots, canaries, and several exotic bird types."

"So, you lied to me?" Carly was hurt, anybody could see that in her eyes. She wanted to cry, because she thought Sam was one way, and now she was aware that Sam was nothing like she had thought of. "Why? I thought I was your best friend, and here _Valerie_ and _Jonah_ of all people are the ones that know you?"

"I know, and I'm sorry…it just all kind of started a little before we started up iCarly, and it just went on and on until it got so big that I just didn't know how to tell you." Freddie sat down as Jonah and Valerie leaned up against a fence. What could they do, other than just sit and watch everything unfold. "I've always been afraid of losing your friendship, Carly."

"And you thought lying to me about your life was the way to not lose our friendship? If anything, it would have been nice of you to tell me that you were friends with Valerie and Jonah!" Carly was a mixture of angry, confused, and just plain dumbfounded. "Which, by the way, Valerie hurt me and iCarly, and Jonah hurt _you_." Sam frowned and looked over at her friends, they were frowning as well, clearly hurt by the comment. Sam wasn't going to get angry, but she would always defend the two to the death if she had to.

"Valerie didn't hurt me, and Jonah is sorry about what he did. They're okay in my book. When I met you, you were so…so _perfect_, I was afraid of what you would think if you knew I lived out in the country and that I liked working out in the field, getting dirty and everything like all the other girls. You were so clean, so beautiful…"

"Sam…" Carly frowned as Sam sat down on the porch and ran her hand through her hair. It was all going to come out now, she couldn't hide it anymore. Carly sat next in front of her friend and Shadow came up next to her.

"Then, it just went on that the only way I could get you to not see how I was, I acted aggressive to hide my good qualities and I lied to you in order to not be rejected by you. I also was afraid to take away from you…but I guess it made me not just less noticed than you, but completely unnoticed. Every single guy out there seems to want _you_ and nobody ever wants me…" Freddie tilted his head and frowned, he thought Sam was very beautiful and would love to be with her. His eyes widened for a brief moment and he felt something happening inside him, it felt like the confusion that clouded him was slowly evaporating.

"Sam, you're not…"

"Then in order to keep my secret, I had to lie to everyone at school! My parents were hurt, especially when I started having to say all that crap about my mom, and nobody even knows who my dad is! I'm not cruel and mean, I'm a nice person who loves to make friends, and now you, Freddie, Gibby, _everyone_ thinks I'm this cruel and vindictive person, and I can't even shake that image away!"

"She was always worried about outshining you," Jonah said quietly. Carly looked over at him and Valerie nodded her head. He had his hands on the rail behind him and was taking a heavy sigh. "She admired you and knew that she could have been popular if she wanted to be, but she wanted you to be the popular one." Carly shook her head as the group continued on, not really letting her have a chance to speak. "I guess you bought into the whole thing, there were little hints every now and again. You never really seemed to care much about her feelings…"

"What does that mean?" Carly was offended, how could he say that. Then again, he did have a point. She never thought about how much she shined and how Sam was affected in the sidelines. Now that she thought about it, she did treat Sam a bit more poorly than she should have.

"There were so many things screwed up about how you treated her, Freddie too, to an extent. For example, whenever a boy seemed to give attention to either of you, you just always lapped it up. Screw what I did to her, screw Freddie's former attraction to you, which by the way, thank god that's all over!" The girls looked at Jonah with surprise, but he didn't realize what he had just said. Carly slowly looked down at the ground, feeling like a real chump. "Remember Shane? You remember him…just like Jake, Zeke, every other guy, _you_ had to have him. Never once did you stop and think 'Sam wants a guy.' All you ever cared about was yourself. You outshined her in everything! Why do you think she's closer to Valerie than you? Valerie just showed a bit more interest in her life than you did, and at least that was how she knew she could trust her…"

"Jonah, that's enough," Sam said quietly. Jonah nodded and looked at her apologetically, he was just running his mouth, he knew that. He really had no business saying all that, he just couldn't help but to feel frustrated. "I really wasn't concerned so much with all that. I was more concerned because you always seemed like someone who didn't like people that lived out in the country or owned farms."

"Did I really ever come off that vain?" Carly asked with a hurt tone.

"To be honest? Sometimes, yes…and in those iCarly parts where you dressed as one, you acted kind of in ways that I thought were a bit offensive. Not only that, but sometimes you do tend to act like you're a little better than others and you don't really care about other things beside yourself…" Carly's face darkened and Sam slowly stood up, folding her arms over. "So now you know, I don't know what you're going to do now, but it doesn't matter…everyone already sees me as this vindictive, crazy, psycho who doesn't give a crap about anyone and can't make a decent grade in school." Just then, Bonnie, the Morgan Horse of the farm, came wandering out of the stable. Sam groaned and slowly shook her head. "Valerie, did one of you guys forget to close her pen?" Valerie looked over and gasped.

"No, I made sure to close it!" Valerie proclaimed.

"Don't blame them," Carly said as she slowly rose and walked over to Bonnie. The horse at her with a raised eyebrow and Carly began to pet the side of her face. "Her name is Bonnie, right? I had opened her gate to go in and see her, because she's a beautiful horse and I wanted to get up close to her. Then you called for Jonah and Valerie, I was in such a state of shock that I forgot to close the pen."

"I see…" Sam smiled slightly and walked over to Bonnie, petting her mane and sighing. "Come on girl, it's time to head back in the stable. It's getting late out and you're not supposed to be roaming around." Sam led Bonnie into the stable and returned outside in a minute. "I'm surprised you knew her name."

"I know them all." Carly shrugged nonchalantly and folded her arms over. She had read their names on the stable and paid close attention to whatever Valerie and Jonah said about the horses. "There's Boxer, Brianna, and Baxter, the three Clydesdales, you guys love riding them. Jonah's favorite is Boxer's and Valerie's is Brianna, and the two horses are mates. Your favorite is Baxter."

"Yeah, that's true."

"Then there is Angel, the paint horse, she's pregnant so nobody rides her. The same goes for Specka, your Appaloosa horse, because she has a little fawn named Peace, who needs to have her mother around constantly. The two Mustangs are Roy and Bud, they're strong, but rough to ride upon. Then finally there's King, who is your dad's favorite, he's an Arabian horse, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"I love horses, and I don't think you living on a farm is a bad thing at all. In fact, I admire what you do, I think it really shows who you are…I wish you would have been brave enough to tell me, though." Sam frowned as Carly shook her head and gripped a fence from behind, she really needed to take another look at Sam. "I think we should start over, though. I want to be friends with you, not someone that, well, isn't real." Sam smiled kindly as Carly made her way over to her and hugged her. "Do you think I can have that chance?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Great, and do you actually want people to know the real you? I mean you've gone so long with being one way, maybe it would be better to just let everyone see the real you." Sam pressed her lips together and thought for a moment, she really wasn't sure. She actually would love to do that, but she didn't want to upstage Carly or anything.

"I don't know…what are you thinking?"

"We use iCarly." Carly smirked and tilted her head to the side, she knew they were originally not going to have it today, since Sam was busy, but maybe she could do what she needed to do _and_ do iCarly.

"I don't know…iCarly is sort of your thing, I mean, you are the star."

"You're a star too."

"I'm just a sidekick." Freddie groaned and began barking, he didn't agree with Sam. He thought she should stop putting herself down so much. Sam looked at him and raised her eyebrows, his barking was so frantic and continuous. She didn't understand it, but Jonah heard every word, and grinned. "Amato, what's wrong?" She lifted him up and frowned, maybe he missed Snowflake. She had wondered about Snowflake's disappearance when Shannon reappeared, but she opted not to do anything about it. It was odd of her, but something told her not to worry anymore.

"Sam you're not just a sidekick, you're a star," Freddie barked wildly, wishing she could hear him. "You're _the_ star! You're beautiful, you're sweet. You've got a great heart! I understand now, and I see you, I really see _you._" He knew what he wanted, he knew who he wanted to be with. He cared about Sam, his feelings for her had really grown strong.

"He seems to disagree with you," Jonah said with a smirk. Sam raised her eyebrow as Freddie continued on.

"If only you could hear me, I'd tell you how wrong you are. I see you."

"What's wrong with him?" Carly asked as Sam started trying to coax the frantic puppy. Sam shrugged as she started cradling him, trying to calm him down some way. Scooter started barking as well, trying to quiet Freddie.

"I was wrong, Sam. You're the one I want to be with, if only you'd have me. We've become close over the years, despite your constant taunting, even though you aren't really like that. I can see how you've felt about me, I've come to understand it, the confusion no longer clouds my vision and I know it all."

"Dear god he's having the same attack Jonah had," Shadow said with a slight chuckle. Jonah shot a glare at the dog and smiled, he was glad that Freddie seemed to realize where is heart really lay. Not only that, but he also learned to care about the feelings of other people, and to help others before himself.

"Calm down Freddie!" Scooter cried out. He leapt up in the air and yipped at Freddie. Freddie soon quieted and gave a sigh, he knew it was pointless to try and tell Sam anything. He looked up at her and whimpered, which caused her to coo.

"Aw Amato, you're such a cutie," Sam said as she scratched his belly. Freddie barked happily and Sam kissed his snout. He blushed as Carly laughed at the adorableness and Valerie merely smiled. Jonah's eyebrows rose as he stared blankly at the dog. Sam rubbed the top of Freddie's snout and looked over at the others. "I can't explain it, but I've always been so close and drawn to Amato."

"I think I can understand that," Jonah said with a slight chuckle. He lowered his voice to a whisper and gave a small sigh. "Dear god Freddie, you gave us a scare. Save those words for when you're human again…"

"Did you say something, Jonah?"

"Uh, no, it's nothing." He chuckled nervously and Valerie eyed him suspiciously.

"Yes you did," Valerie said with narrow eyes. "You said something about Freddie, I heard you!" Carly and Sam looked over with raised eyebrows as Freddie felt a strange churning. Something about the kiss upon his snout was giving him some pretty crazy feelings. Either that, or there was something else going on.

"What does Freddie have to do with all this?" Carly asked. Jonah looked at Freddie and his eyes widened briefly. Carly looked over and paled, it couldn't be happening again. Sam looked down at Amato and shrieked, the dog had lost all his fur.

* * *

Ooh and here we go. Two big things just happened. Carly and Sam are doing well and Freddie just...returned. BY THE WAY, keep an eye out for "PATERNAL BONDS SHATTERED" Which is basically the villain's perspective, it gives more insight to the lives of Jeremy, Nevel, Gibby, etc etc during the events prior to and during Paternal Bonds. Also, helps me out because I'm going into Criminal Justice and I want to be a criminologist, or a profiler, not sure the difference, but that's getting into the heads of the criminals and finding out why they commit the crime, etc etc. Plus, PB was my most popular story, so I have no doubt that it's going to be great! XD


	25. Who I Am

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 24 (Who I Am)

Carly was about ready to faint when they saw Freddie lying on the ground, this was the second time she'd seen someone or something change forms, she just never expected it to be Freddie. Jonah sighed and helped him to his feet, steadying him. "Of all times to finally become human again," Jonah muttered to his friend. Freddie chuckled nervously as Jonah lightly smacked him in the back of his head. "I guess timing means nothing to you, man."

"I couldn't exactly control that," Freddie commented warily. Scooter whimpered and lay down on the ground, this sucked, Freddie wasn't a dog anymore. Sam didn't know what to say, Amato was Freddie all along. He looked at her and swallowed. "Hi Sam…" Jonah rested his hand on Freddie's shoulder and looked over at Sam, he wasn't sure how the girl was going to respond.

"F-Freddie, it's really you," Sam said quietly. She wasn't sure what to do. Should she hug him? Should she cry?

"I'm sorry Sam, I didn't want you to find out like this. Hell, I wasn't even going to ever tell you…" Like a handsome prince he was, that's what Sam felt. She almost wondered if her kiss really transformed him.

"It's okay, I'm fine. M-Madame Fontessa told me something had happened to you, I just didn't know what." In truth, she'd had her suspicions very early on. When Shannon returned and Snowflake disappeared, she decided to put one and one together. She didn't really want to believe it at first, but she had to admit, she didn't have anything better. "I just wish I had known earlier on. You've been missing for over two months, Freddie. You don't even know how much that's been affecting everyone…"

"Yeah I do, actually." Freddie moved closer to Sam and placed his hand on her arm. "And I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I didn't see it sooner. I know how it's affected you, and I wish I could erase how I've acted."

"Yeah well…" She blushed and shook her head, she was just too confused at the moment. "So, it was your idea to bring Carly to my farm, then?"

"I knew she was a good friend to you, I knew she wouldn't hurt you. You were always so afraid of how people saw you, but you didn't have to be. I think you're a great person, Sam." She blushed and tore her gaze away from him, unsure how she felt on the matter.

"You really mean that?"

"Yeah, I think there's a lot of guys that would love you. Including me, to be honest…" Sam's already red face became redder and she moved her gaze back to his.

"You like me? Is that what you're saying?"

"Yeah, I've learned a lot and I've seen you for you, and I really do like what I see. I've been shooting for you to come out of your shell for so long, it seems. I knew the only way to do it was for you to tell Carly the truth." Jonah chuckled and closed his eyes, so that was why Carly showed up out of the blue.

"So what happened to you?" Carly asked while shaking her head, she wanted to move on from this crazy moment as quickly as possible.

"Someone had given me an orb just before our iCarly segment that day, then it turned me into a dog. I wasn't the person they needed to be with." He didn't want to tell the girls that it was Shannon, but he was sure if they were smart enough, they'd figure it out.

"Well I for one am glad that you're back. I guess Sam is too, right?"

"Yeah, definitely," Sam said with a smile. She loved having him back, and being held in his arms. Though she was sure some of his touching her was to keep from falling down. She didn't even think to ask how Jonah was aware of him, but she didn't really care.

"So, are you guys up for iCarly?" Freddie and Sam looked at her nervously and Carly grinned. She had a plan. "Trust me!" Sam shrugged as Freddie looked down at his leg, Scooter had his paws on him and was staring up at him with a sad look in his eyes, he was going to really miss Freddie after this.

"What's going to happen to me, Freddie?" Scooter asked with a whimper. "Where will I be?" Freddie had become his best friend. Freddie frowned and picked him up, petting him calmly and holding him close.

"Aw Scooter, you know, you're still the cutest pup around," Freddie said with a smile. He had no idea what the dog was saying to him. Jonah could tell, as could Shadow, which meant they were grinning from ear to ear.

"Can't hear him, can you?" Shadow barked out. Freddie's eyebrows rose and his mouth opened slightly. That was right, Scooter had said so little since he became human, which was a complete shock.

"Oh my god…"

"What is it Freddie?" Sam asked as she looked to him worriedly. Valerie had left to get the camera, she still was in total shock and didn't know what the hell was going on. Jonah was now calling up Mr. and Mrs. Benson to let them know Freddie was okay. He knew that they knew what really happened, so they would be pleased to hear the news.

"Sam, is it okay for me to adopt Scooter and take him home with me?" Scooter's jaw dropped and Sam smiled sweetly, perhaps Freddie would give him a really good home.

"Well I suppose you know how he is about baths…do I need to explain anything about him?"

"Not really." He chuckled and cuddled Scooter closely as Valerie walked out with the camera. Sam's parents came out to see what was going on, as they needed to get these animals taken care of.

"Sam, what are you doing?" Dave asked in an almost reprimanding tone. "I don't mean to be hard on you, but there isn't any time for iCarly." Sam was usually more responsible than this.

"I know Dad, I'm not sure exactly what Carly's got in mind."

"Don't worry Mr. Puckett!" Carly urged with a smile. She knew the minute they started recording their live feed, everybody in the world was going to know the real, the _true_ Sam Puckett. "Jonah, I take it you're Freddie's friend? How long have you guys known each other?"

"Uh, he introduced me to you guys, remember?" Jonah reminded Carly with a slight chuckle. They hadn't really talked since the whole incident, but it really didn't seem that long ago.

"So, are you one of his techie friends?"

"Oh hell no." Freddie laughed and placed his elbow on Jonah's shoulder. Jonah was one of the cooler guys in the school, he was no nerd. Neither was Freddie, truth be said. "Though, I do know a thing or two about cameras. Why?"

"I need you to record everything that goes on."

"Do I have to?" He whined and Carly rolled her eyes, she just wanted to do this. It was very important to her. "Let Mr. Puckett do it, if you don't want Freddie to. He's better with technology than either of us." Carly gave a hum and looked over at Dave.

"Would you?"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," he replied cautiously. Sam raised her eyebrow as her father took the camera. How would they do iCarly without having rehearsed a thing? Not only that, but they were on her farm. Sam's eyes widened with realization as Carly stepped next to Sam and Freddie stood slightly behind them, to their left.

"Carly, you're not," Sam whispered quietly. Carly grinned as Jonah started hooking everything up to the laptop that he brought out with the camera. It was on a wheeled platform, so they could freely move if they needed to. He grunted with frustration and looked over at Freddie, searching for help.

"How the hell do you set up the live connection?"

"Here, let me do this," Freddie replied while hurrying to the computer and typing. Sam smiled at him and sighed, she felt like a schoolgirl watching her crush. She was very happy to have him back, and god did she miss him. Soon, iCarly was up and running, and people across the globe were receiving alerts of its airing. Carly smiled at the camera and Sam looked at her with concern, usually she started up first, but she wasn't saying anything. She shifted her eyes back and forth between Carly and the camera nervously and decided to speak.

"I-I'm Sam Puckett!"

"And I'm Carly Shay! This is iCarly, but we're doing something a _little_ different today! She's finally coming out of her shell of insecurity, sorry Sam!"

"No offense taken." She smiled nervously as Carly continued enthusiastically.

"We're going to finally delve into the hidden life and see a day in the life of the _real_ Sam Puckett."

"Oh, that's what we're…oh! What?" Sam looked at her outfit and groaned, she was covered in dirt, sweat, and fur. God, that was probably the first thing everyone noticed about her. "Carly, I'm not even prepared…I have a lot of work to do anyway!"

"And we're going to do it, on iCarly! This is all about _you_. This show, you're the star." Sam's eyes widened, she wasn't sure what to say to that. Hell, she was so unprepared that she was hideously out of material. "My best friend has finally revealed that she is not who we all thought her as, but who she is, I appreciate and like a whole lot."

"Thanks Carly, that makes me feel good…"

"I'm glad. Now talk, I'm done talking."

"Um, okay…" She was sweating, nervous, and almost afraid of what would happen. She turned to the camera and smiled. "Well for one thing, I'm not a savage, coldhearted, mean spirited person at all. I live on a farm, with my wonderful parents…Mom, come say hi to everyone!" She coaxed her wary mom over to the camera and grinned as Sarah waved.

"Hi," Sarah said quickly, then started to leave the camera's view.

"Mom is actually the head doctor at the downtown medical hospital. My dad is a businessman, but also is a supplier of dairy products, such as milk and eggs. We work also with the nearby animal shelter and help to train and make various animals adoptable. We usually end up with a large variety of animals who we train specially on our farm. Also none of our animals are ever sent to a kill shelter, we don't believe in those. The same goes for the livestock, they live on the farm until they pass on naturally. Oh, and in other news, I may be going on a date soon…" She whispered the line to the camera and winked, she had a good feeling that Freddie was going to ask her out. From the way he was looking at her.

"Yeah, I was about to ask you out, so what?" Freddie asked as he casually entered the camera's view, as if he'd never vanished. Sam blushed and Freddie flashed a subtle smirk. "Let's save that for after the show, though. This is all about you, of course. Funny, I'm not in on this one. It's _all Carly_."

"I figured." Carly smiled sheepishly and Sam looked over at Jonah and Valerie, quickly thinking about them. "Oh turn the camera on them, Dad! This is my best friend and her boyfriend, who is a good friend to me too." Dave turned the camera on the nervous couple, who waved awkwardly at the camera. "They have been forgiven for their past, so nobody mess with them. Remember that I may not really be as mean as I acted, because I was always afraid of how people would react to the real me, but I am deathly protective of my friends. So if anybody gives them anymore crap, I _will_ hunt each and every one of you down."

"Good to know you care so much," Jonah said with a slight chuckle. Valerie nodded and kissed Jonah's cheek, causing him to place his arm around her and give her a kiss on the lips in return.

"They're hopelessly in love." Sam rolled her eyes and smiled as the couple gave her the cheesiest smile possible. Sam spoke for a few minutes, then the group walked around the farm and she explained her daily chores. "So we have to milk the cows and collect the eggs from the chicken coop, we groom the horses, take care of the pigs. My favorite is Balloon, he's the chubbiest pig of them all. If you ask whether or not I'm a vegetarian, no I'm not. I know it sounds odd, but there are plenty of people who work with animals that eat meat."

"I know I do," Dave said with a grin. Sam smiled at her father and continued on.

"Daily chores get pretty hectic, so I'm glad to have Jonah and Valerie around to help with them on occasion. So, now that you've seen the farm and know of the many duties I have to take care of, though I love every one of them, we get to go inside where all the new animals are. There are currently eleven dogs and nine cats. We still have to name them. Now that in itself is going to be quite the task, and I've already had a _pretty_ tiring and surprising day, in case you hadn't noticed." She was also more irritable than usual, perhaps that was simply because it was her time of the month and she was already stressed out enough as it were.

They made their way inside the house where there were several animals barking and mewing, Sam immediately rushed to calm all the animals down. It was chaotic almost. Dave put the camera on all of them, some shied away, some stared at the camera with curiosity or fear, while others seemed to just beg for the attention. The oldest animal there was a Bloodhound, he was also the one being the calmest. The fastest dog there, rivaling Scooter in speed, was an Australian Cattle Dog, he was zipping all over the place, the hardest to catch on camera.

"I think I have a name for that one already," Sarah said as the dog ran into her. "Zip!" Sam laughed as the dog stopped and barked happily, he liked the name, seeing as how it fit him so well. Jonah picked up a small Jack Russell Terrier puppy and couldn't help but make sounds of awe.

"I think this guy needs the name Killer," Jonah stated. Sam nodded as she tried to lead all the dogs into the house's dog room and tried to get the cats in their own designated room. Valerie, Carly, Jonah, and Freddie all helped with this. It took a good half hour at least, but they managed to do it.

"Damn, this is hard work!" Carly said as she crashed on the couch. Sam laughed and crossed her arms, it didn't surprise her that Carly was already exhausted. But when you were used to it, it didn't bother you much.

"Well, what do you expect? This is my life, I love it. I couldn't be prouder of it." Freddie smiled and placed his arm around Sam's shoulder, he was very happy to hear those words. Valerie and Jonah felt the same way. Even her parents were basking in the joy and glory, finally they didn't have to feel like their daughter didn't appreciate them. "Some wise people told me, I should always remain true to myself." Sam looked to her mom and smiled at her, she knew how much this all meant to her. "What do you have, really, if not your own identity? If you hide who you are, how can you accept who you are? I love living on a farm, I love all the work and pleasure that comes with it, and I wouldn't trade this life for anything. Thank you Carly, I think this was the best way to really get people to know who I am."

"I'm glad."

* * *

Well there's that chapter. It would technically be the end, but there are two more chapters left! And we speed on forward.


	26. Scooter's Triumph

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 25 (Scooter's Triumph)

Jonah was the one to drive Freddie home at the end of the day, iCarly had gone well. People really liked seeing Sam's actual life, most complimented her and wondered why she kept it so hidden. It was a new side of her, a beautiful side. Sure, there were some that were upset over it, but no one really said they preferred the way she had acted over how she was.

Freddie looked in the backseat to see Scooter hopping around all over the place, the little pup was so happy to have a home. Jonah chuckled and shook his head, he _still_ found the dog somewhat annoying. "I'm telling you, he pees in my car, I'm throwing him out the window," Jonah said with a devious grin. Scooter stopped and started barking wildly at Jonah. Freddie sighed, upset over not being able to hear the dog anymore. Jonah slapped his steering wheel and rolled his eyes. "I will _too_ dare! Don't think I wouldn't! Better yet, I can _still_ find a good mud puddle. Don't think I won't stop the car!" Scooter frowned and bowed his head.

"Aw Jonah, don't traumatize the poor guy," Freddie said with a laugh as he reached back and placed Scooter in his lap, petting him. Scooter grinned happily and curled up in Freddie's lap, finally he felt at peace. Jonah sighed and smiled.

"You are so right for Sam, just like her when it comes to animals." Scooter glanced at Jonah momentarily, then closed his eyes comfortably, hanging his tongue out ever so slightly. Jonah glanced at Scooter, then glanced at the road. "Yes Scooter, you have a good owner and I do feel weird talking to animals, so shut it. I can't help but to wonder how Isis is going to take you being the other dog in the house, just saying."

"All right Jonah, that's enough."

"Fine…" Jonah took a left turn and popped his neck to the right. "Damn, my neck's been aching all day."

"You all right, man?"

"Yeah, just slept bad last night, that's all." Jonah rubbed his neck and groaned as Scooter looked over at him curiously, with a very subtle smirk.

"How long have you known Valerie for, anyway?" Scooter asked. Jonah raised his eyebrow and shrugged, it had been a very long time.

"Since long before she ever dated Freddie." That was at least five years ago, when Jonah was twelve. Valerie was the same age, dating Freddie who was a year younger. Freddie looked at Jonah curiously, unsure of what he was talking about. "The dog asked me how long I knew Valerie for. She and I knew each other when we were ten. Met her at a ballgame that our fathers took us to. We sat right next to each other, I caught the fly ball and she wanted it." Jonah smiled at the distant memory of their first initial meeting. Valerie had cried like a baby, eventually coaxing him to give her the ball. "The instant she touched that ball, she had this most devilish grin and cheered, she managed to trick _me_ into giving away the ball. We were friends ever since." Freddie laughed, Jonah had let Valerie trick him so easily? Even he knew when to tell that a girl was faking it.

"Girls are natural actors, buddy."

"I was _ten_, I didn't know better!" Freddie laughed once more and Jonah sighed as he pulled into the Bushwell parking lot. "So, how do you feel about having your first date with Sam?"

"I'm excited and nervous at the same time. She just seems so special, I can't wait to take her out."

"Yeah, well maybe you found your match. I know I found my match in Valerie." Scooter coughed and shook his head.

"Yeah, you obviously didn't take a shower today either," Scooter muttered as he placed his paws on his nose. Jonah raised his eyebrow suspiciously as the dog rolled his eyes upwards. "Out of curiosity, how did you fall asleep last night? With Valerie in your arms, was it? Cause I'm smelling two scents on you, Valerie all over you and something else…" Jonah's eyes widened and he glared at the small dog.

"That is _none_ of your business!"

"I _know_ it isn't cologne!" Freddie raised his eyebrows as he watched his best friend and his dog stare down the other. He had no idea what was going on, and he figured he probably didn't want to know.

"I should probably get going before a fight breaks out, huh?" Freddie asked with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah enjoy yourself, Freddie." Jonah looked back to Scooter and smirked. "Piss Isis off, maybe she'll eat you."

"Okay," Scooter said with a smirk, already thinking of a comeback. "And maybe you'll get over those dog urges you're so used to before your girlfriend ends up in heat." Jonah blushed beet red and Freddie took that as a sign to quickly exit the car before something bad happened.

"I'm going to kill you, mutt!"

"I'd like to see you try, Doby!" Scooter laughed insanely as Jonah became hot under the collar. Freddie sighed and quickly ran into the building, he knew better than to hang around Jonah when he wanted to seek revenge against Scooter.

"I don't know what you did or said to piss Jonah off like that," Freddie said chuckling as he stepped into the elevator. He had to admit, he thought it was funny to see Jonah's buttons being pressed like that. "But I liked it. Try to tone it down though, we don't want him throwing you in any mud puddles while you're sleeping or something."

"Ah I'm fine now." Scooter had the most triumphant look on his face, it was like glorious revenge for all the baths that Jonah made him have to take. "Seeing Jonah riled up like that was victory enough for me. It so made up for _everything_." Freddie could tell the dog was happy, as his tail kept wagging.

"You're a very crazy pup."

"Thank you."

"You took that as a compliment, I'm guessing." Freddie walked into his apartment where he met up with his mother and father, they were so happy to see him. The first to hug him was Marissa, she started squeezing him, never wanting to let him go.

"I thought I had lost you!" Marissa cried out. John walked up to Freddie and placed his hand on his shoulder, he was grateful that his son had been able to return to human form.

"I guess you helped out everyone you could," John commented with a proud smile. "I'm very proud of you, my son."

"Thanks Dad, and it's good to see you too Mom. I love you guys." Scooter jumped down and Isis walked into the living room. She froze and her eyes widened in shock when she spotted the little dog staring back at her.

"What the hell is _he_ doing here?" Isis screamed out in shock. She liked Scooter, she had to admit, but she never thought he'd come haunting her new home. Jonah must be laughing his ass off somewhere, she was sure of that.

"I adopted Scooter." Freddie was talking to both his parents, and Isis, since he could hear her still. This must have meant Isis didn't count as his soul-pet, but only his father's.

"You _adopted_ the annoying rat? You mean I have to live with him now?" Freddie knelt down and rubbed Isis's head, smirking playfully.

"You and Scooter are going to have to get along now, you're family."

"Screw you Freddie. Screw you. You know, I actually _liked _you. I thought you were _cool_! We were friends!"

"Aw come on, it's not that bad, is it?" Isis growled in frustration and glared at Scooter, she couldn't help but to wonder why he seemed so sure of himself. The look on his face seemed like he had just accomplished some really great feat.

"Isis, I got Jonah," Scooter said with a bright-eyed smirk. Isis raised her eyebrow and stepped forward, she was _very_ interested in hearing what he had to say now.

"Go on," she replied slowly.

"I could smell it on both of them. All day today, I could smell them on each other, and I _finally _got Jonah!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Jonah and Valerie were together last night. He was complaining of a bad neck all day and said he slept oddly the prior night, and today, I could smell their scents on each other, along with a second mysterious scent that I couldn't quite make out." Isis's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, she couldn't believe it.

"So what did you do?"

"I made him turn redder than a tomato. I got so under his skin, it was completely satisfying! I never saw him so worked up before in my life! It was the perfect _sweet, sweet_ revenge for all those baths!"

"Wow. Scooter my friend…" Isis walked over and nudged him once, smirking with pride, as she never suspected the little dog had it in him. "This looks like the beginning of a _beautiful_ friendship." Freddie looked at the two dogs with confusion, not having the slightest clue as to what they were talking about. He hated hearing the vague side of conversations.

His father on the hand, was groaning and pinching the bridge of his nose. He'd heard far too much and wished he was not hearing the more detailed side of the animals' conversation. Some personal, private matters should stay just as that, _private_.

"Though it does beg the question, Isis…when they turn back to humans, do the urges and impulses felt as a dog remain for a certain amount of time? If that's the case…what would happen when the female goes into heat?"

"Okay that's enough of that!" John said as he picked Scooter up and carried him into the next room. He was seriously considering feeding this dog something spicy or really chewy to keep him from talking so much. In truth, the impulses did stay for a very short period of time. If anything, there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

"Why do I feel like I'm missing something here?" Freddie asked as he crossed his arms over. Marissa sighed and slowly shook her head, shrugging and smiling lightly.

"Hey, you probably know more than I ever do," she answered with a laugh. She always thought she was better off _not_ hearing what animals had to say, who knew what family secrets were spoken out of the mouths of pets everywhere, knowing the humans were far too stupid to ever really know what was going on?

* * *

Scooter finally embarrasses the hell out of Jonah, revenge for all those mud puddles he was tossed in. Well, one last chapter. Moving on ahead. Yes, I'm posting the final three now, I want to finish posting them because I'm eager to get into others and excited that I've finally finished this story ^_^. Besides, the last three are kind of one chapter anyway...


	27. One Big Family

Dog Days

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.

A/N: Sam's parents _will_ retain their names I had when I first wrote this story, meaning Sam's mom is still named Sarah. I do this, because I wrote this before we knew her name was Pam, and I intend to keep it that way.

* * *

Chapter 26 (One Big Family)

Freddie was doing some push-ups and other exercises in order to regain his human stability that he'd lost touch with for the last two months. Isis and Scooter had nothing better to do than watch, curious about his workout. "I always wondered why humans did those things," Scooter said while tilting his head to the side. "Doesn't it just cause them to end up sore afterwards? Why do something that ends up hurting you?"

"In the long run, it makes humans stronger," Isis replied quietly. She was waiting for him to finish, because Freddie and Jonah had an idea to meet up with all the other animals. A reunion for everyone to remember. Not only that, Freddie had a promise to keep, that he, Jonah, and Shannon would always remain friends. It had been almost three weeks and he hadn't met up with her yet. Things had been really busy as of late.

"Hey hurry up!" Scooter barked impatiently. He was looking forward to meeting everybody.

"You know by now that he can't hear you, right?" Isis reminded him. Scooter sighed and shrugged his shoulders, he hated the fact, but he just had to get used to it. "Freddie, come on, we want to see everyone! All the owners are busy for the next two ours with their own stuff, so we don't have long. I need to be back here so John can get me to the station later." Freddie did one more push-up and slowly stood up, wiping his face with a towel.

"Yeah, well I'm waiting on Jonah," he replied with a sigh. He didn't exactly have a car yet, so Jonah had to come pick him up. Nikki had been to every animal's home and told them the proper time to meet up and the location. It was going to be to a construction site where they were building a house. It never seemed to have any work done on it, so that made it a perfect site to meet up and have some fun.

"So I'm guessing Valerie and Carly are at Sam's?"

"Well, not Carly, that's something that's more Sam, Valerie, and Jonah's thing. Jonah's only not there today so we could have this meeting. Shannon apparently is going to bring along Princess and Powder. Sassy and Sugar aren't with Valerie, so they should be able to make it."

"I think we should all start meeting up when everyone's asleep, to be perfectly honest." Sometime in the middle of the night really would have been better off. If they did that, then nobody really would notice anyone missing if something ended up fowling up the plan.

"Well, we'll have to see. I'm certain you animals will end up meeting sometimes without us humans around."

"What can I say? We're a huge family." She grinned happily as the trio started making their way to the door. Jonah had to be in the parking lot by now, so they may as well get going.

When they made it downstairs, they met up with Jonah at the front desk. He glared at Scooter and growled, he was still upset with the dog. Scooter smirked evilly and the group made it to his car. "So how are things going for you and Valerie?" Freddie asked while letting the dogs in the back and entering the passenger side.

"Everything's great. She hasn't been feeling so well for the past couple of days, though."

"Damn, I hope it isn't anything bad." Jonah shrugged and started up the car, they were depending on all the other animals to get there on their own time. Fortunately, the area they were going to meet up at wasn't too far away. Sadly, the only one that knowingly wouldn't make it was Fluffy, as his owner lived out of the state somewhere.

"It's a real shame we won't be seeing Fluffy," Isis commented while looking out the window. Scooter had placed his paws up on the door and was gazing out as well, they appreciated the guys rolling the window down for them. There was nothing quite like the feel of the cool wind beating upon them while they were driving along the road.

"Yeah, he was always fun to have around," Scooter replied. They at least hoped Fluffy was happy. He had to be, he finally had a human. Isis pulled her head inside the car and began sniffing around, something smelled like three week old underwear.

"What is that smell? Scooter, do you smell it too?" Jonah raised his eyebrow and stared into the rearview mirror. He narrowed his eyes inquisitively and pondered what the dogs were sniffing around for in his car.

"Smells like Valerie, I always end up smelling her whenever I'm in the car." Jonah blinked and shifted his eyes to the side.

_"Please tell me they're not smelling what I think they are,"_ Jonah thought while gazing at the road ahead. Freddie looked over at Isis curiously, now that she had smelt something, she wouldn't give up until she found out what it was. Isis sniffed the seat and then pointed her nose towards the area beneath the front passenger seat.

"Scooter, check under there."

"All right Isis, ma'am!" She rolled her eyes as Scooter bounced down to the leg area and reached beneath the seat. Scooter bit down on some strange, silky fabric, and pulled it out. Both dogs groaned in disgust and dropped the underwear. "Ew, that's disgusting!" Jonah blushed furiously as Isis sniffed the pair, she wasn't afraid to smell it, as she had smelt several vile things in her day. "I can't believe I had that in my _mouth!"_ Scooter gagged and started hacking.

"Yep, they've been there for at least three weeks."

"Oh, so that day I smelled Valerie all over Jonah and vice versa?"

"Since Freddie's been human, yep." Jonah closed his eyes and sighed, he and Valerie were wondering where that pair of underwear had gone to. It was her favorite pair and they lost it due to a moment in the car. Freddie looked back and Jonah smacked his forehead, now Freddie would know what he and Valerie were doing.

"My god Jonah, women's panties?" Freddie asked as he reached around and grabbed them. He gagged and held them up for Jonah to see.

"Give me those!" Jonah cried out as he grabbed the underwear away. "They're Valerie's…" Freddie blinked for a minute as Jonah tucked them into the side door and sighed. Scooter smirked and Isis smiled with half lidded eyes. "We had forgotten them."

"Jonah?"

"What?"

"You and Valerie…"

"Yeah, what of it?" Jonah looked away and Freddie chuckled, folding his arms over and shaking his head. "We were on a date and went to this place that my grandparents and her parents had gone to when they were teenagers."

"Oh, was it that Lover's Point thing? You know, the place that's been _gone_ for about ten or twenty years now?" Jonah frowned and held his silence for a minute. Nobody spoke a word and just stared at him. 'Lover's Point' as it was called, had many names during it's time. It had been deamed Teenager Paradise, Make-out Point, Late Night Zone, Hanky-Panky Zone, Wild Age, and even Sexual Cliff. People stopped going there in the late eighties, early nineties. Sometimes people would go there for old times sake, or just for curiosity if they had family or friends that had gone there.

"Yes." Jonah blushed and ran his hand through his hair. Freddie laughed and Jonah quickly glared at him, he and Valerie had hoped to make that secret. "Don't tell anybody, it was only one time!"

"Don't worry Jonah, your secret is safe with me. I'm guessing things got a bit too heated for clothes." Now he was just teasing.

"I don't want to talk about it…but yeah, we got caught up in the moment, so shut up!" Freddie laughed again as Jonah finally pulled up to the construction area.

"You've never taken any other girl there?"

"I never knew about it until my grandpa said something about it to me and Valerie. She said her parents had been there, so we decided to check it out and see what it was all about. Turns out, being on a high cliff overlooking the town, under the stars and moon, happens to be a highly romantic thing."

"So, who made the first move?" Jonah blushed again and growled, both the dogs in the backseat were now laughing their heads off.

"Shut up!" They hadn't planned on doing anything, they just wanted to check the cliff out.

"So we won't find your boxers in the trunk?" Isis asked with a smirk. Jonah groaned loudly and placed his head on the steering wheel.

"Shut up…" Jonah looked out the window to see Spaz running around crazily. He saw them and grinned, bolting towards the car. "God I haven't been happier to see Spaz than I am right now!" Jonah then bolted out of the car, leaving his friends laughing their asses off at him.

"Hey guys!" Spaz said while jumping up at Jonah's legs. Freddie and the dogs exited the car and grinned, they were hoping to beat the others here, but evidently some had already made it here. Sugar and Sassy walked out of the house being built and smiled at the group.

"Hey it's been a while," Sassy commented. "We were just exploring the building, it isn't even halfway done yet!"

"I think they stopped building on it," Freddie responded with a shrug. Sassy nodded as Sugar looked up to him.

"So that's what you look like?" Sugar asked as though she'd never seen iCarly before, and she hadn't. She looked over at Jonah and tilted her head curiously, something was missing. "Where's Nikki?"

"He wanted to come here on his own, I think," Jonah said with a slight shrug. Nikki had actually gone into the building, he wanted to see Cheeto early. The group heard a bark and looked over to see Shadow walking up, Cheeto and Nikki were walking at his sides. Everybody was really happy to see Shadow.

"Shadow!" Spaz barked happily and ran over to him, he was perhaps the happiest of them all. Shadow smiled as the pup rubbed up against him.

"How is Rueben being to you?" Shadow asked while licking the pup's head. Rueben treated Spaz greatly and was helping him to calm down and not be afraid of every little thing that moved.

"He's teaching me to be less fearless. It's really great to see everbody!"

"I know, it's been so long," Sugar complained sadly. "We need to meet up more often!" Just then a scent came to her nose and she began sniffing the air curiously, it was a very familiar scent to her. The other dogs caught it as well and looked over to Jonah's car, the driver's door was still open. Jonah paled as the dogs all ran over to the door. "Where is Valerie? I smell her!" Jonah groaned and slapped his forehead as Freddie chuckled evilly.

"Looks like the dogs are going to find out too," Freddie said while patting Jonah's shoulder.

"I hate you," Jonah replied. Freddie laughed as the dogs pulled out Valerie's underwear. They each groaned in disgust and Sassy smirked at Jonah.

"Well, it looks like someone was having a little too much fun," Sassy said with a slight giggle. Jonah moaned painfully as Shannon arrived with the two cats.

"Hey, what's everyone looking at?" Shannon asked when she noticed everybody huddled around Jonah's car. Jonah yelled frustratingly as Shannon saw the underwear. "Whoa. Jonah, what the hell is that?"

"It's nothing!" Jonah shouted as he took Valerie's panties and pushed them into the glove compartment. Princess and Powder looked at each other and chuckled nervously, they weren't so sure they wanted to run into that.

"Jonah, you must be less obvious with what you do with your mate," Shadow advised.

"Mate?"

"Well it is clear that you have mounted this girl."

"Hey!" Nikki hopped up onto Jonah's shoulder and sighed, shaking his head reputedly. He was going to have to show Jonah how to be a bit more obscure. He was lucky to have a stealthy cat for a pet.

"I hope you and Valerie aren't being regular about this sort of thing," Shannon said as she walked past Jonah and towards the house.

"It's none of your business! And no, that was the only damn time we did anything, and we didn't mean to do it, it just happened!"

"Okay guys, let's stop torturing him," Powder suggested as she stepped next to Shannon and looked up at the house. "This place is all wood…"

"It hasn't been completed yet, I don't think it's been worked on for a while either." Jonah shut his door and walked up to the house with the others. All it seemed to have were the wooden beams and the front walls in, which included a space where the door would go. There were wood chips all over the place.

"So someone gave up on this house, I'm guessing," Freddie added as the group entered the place and looked around. He looked over at Shannon and smiled, happy to see her again as well. "Hey sis, how's it going?" Shannon looked over and smiled back.

"I've been doing pretty well. Rueben and I have decided that we might go steady!" She was delighted, never before had she thought she could ever be so happy. "He's the most amazing boyfriend!"

"I'm glad you're so happy."

"How are things with you and Sam?"

"Great, she's the sweetest girl…she and I talked about my time as a dog and I decided to get her another Shiba Inu named Amato. She loves him."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you, Freddie." Ironically, the dog looked just like he had looked. The personality was quite similar too, just like a nearby Doberman had looked and acted like Jonah did when he was a dog.

"I have this theory that when we turn into animals, it either creates a doppelganger or turns us into the same animal that already exists." Shannon and Jonah laughed, and Freddie joined in as well. It seemed highly unlikely, but who really knew? The world of Madame Fontessa was the strangest world they'd ever known. "Anyway, I think we _all_ know how things are going between Jonah and Valerie." He smirked as Jonah closed his eyes and started shaking his fist angrily.

"Shut _up!_" Jonah shouted. Freddie loved getting a rise out of his friend, but the joke was getting a bit old now. "On to other subject matters. What do you think's going to happen with Madame Fontessa?" The others each looked at each other and shrugged, they really didn't know anything about her.

"I think she's going to stop giving away magic stuff," Shadow said with a frown. After she'd seen how her magic was affecting people, perhaps she'd realized there was no point to keeping all the stuff around. Just then, a car pulled up, the others looked over to see Sam and Valerie exiting the vehicle.

"There you are!" Sam said as she hurried up to Freddie. The girls had been looking for them, wondering where they were going. Rueben told them that Shannon said they were going to meet up with the animals at some construction site.

"Jonah!" Valerie exclaimed as she ran up to him and hugged him, kissing him swiftly on the lips. Jonah smiled at her and hugged her tightly. "I've been trying to find you."

"Well you did," Jonah said with a smile. "I'm hanging out with Freddie."

"Yeah, Valerie's been puking up all over my farm," Sam said with narrow eyes. She folded her arms over and stared at Jonah. "Is there something I should know." Jonah chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, he really didn't want to admit to what they had done.

"We're going to have to tell them anyway, dear," Valerie said with a sheepish smile. She secretly reached into her pocket and pulled something out, Jonah paled when he saw what the item was. "You may want to see this…"

"What?" The dogs whistled a tune while Freddie looked away, smiling slyly. Jonah narrowed his eyes at them and looked back to the object, frowning when he saw what it said on the screen. "Y-You can't be serious…it was just that one time!"

"So what are we going to do about this?"

"Raise it, I guess. We have to take responsibility…" Valerie nodded her head and hugged him, she knew everything would be okay. Jonah would be going into college soon and he could always get a job. "Does anyone else know?"

"I told Sam, obviously." Jonah looked at Sam to see her staring at him, unsure of what to think about the whole situation. Shannon decided to lead the animals off, but they couldn't help but to hide and listen in. "I had to tell my parents and sisters, they offered to help out any way they could."

"Okay that's great. Freddie knows too, want to know why? Blame the dogs!" Freddie laughed and Valerie raised her eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"They found the evidence under the seat…your, um, underwear…was there." Valerie blushed furiously as Shadow walked up to the group.

"Well it looks like we're getting a new pup to the family!" Shadow said with a wide grin. Jonah rolled his eyes and glared at the dog, he was going to enjoy chasing these animals all over the place.

"My mom's going to be the doctor overseeing Valerie's pregnancy," Sam said with a sigh. Since Valerie was a good friend, she would at least have a doctor taking care of her without any cost to her. "And you Jonah, are going to be with Valerie every minute of the day that she needs you."

"I know, I know how to take responsibility. She's my girlfriend." Jonah smiled at Valerie and took her hands. "And I love her very much. Valerie, I'll always be with you."

"Thanks Jonah," Valerie said with a blush and a quick kiss. It was going to be a very hard nine months, but they could handle it. Working on Sam's farm would be great as well. "We're going to do everything we can, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, one thing being a dog taught us," Freddie remarked as he placed his arm around Sam's shoulders. "Is that we're ferociously loyal." He smirked and kissed Sam on the lips. He and Jonah were going to be with these girls forever, at least that's what they hoped for.

The other animals surrounded the group and grinned, they were happy to see that a new member of their family would be born soon. Sure, it wouldn't necessarily be related, but who cared? They were all family, and they knew it. As far as Shadow cared, he'd be a grandfather, even though Jonah wasn't his pup. They were going to teach this pup everything about life.

"One thing to know," Shadow said with a subtle smirk. Knowing Madame Fontessa's magic well, he knew what would happen when this child was born. "The baby will be able to communicate to all animals for the rest of its life." Jonah's eye twitched momentarily and he looked down at Shadow.

"Oh how fun," he thought.

"Ooh, a new royal servant," Princess mewed proudly. Shannon chuckled and Freddie bent down and pet the royal cat. She yelped and leapt back. "Hey! Don't mess with the royal fur!" The other animals laughed as Isis came up from behind her and barked loudly, sending her flying through the air and landing in a nearby puddle. "No! I'm melting!"

"Oh come on, Princess!" Cheeto remarked with a laugh. Nikki hopped down next to Powder and grinned. The humans turned towards the animals to watch them playing with each other.

"So Powder, how have you been?" Nikki asked with a smirk, trying to appear cool. Powder smiled and lifted her eyes skyward. She knew he was about to try a pick up line.

"Before you say it," Powder warned slowly as she rubbed up against him, causing him to blush heavily. "I will admit that you are a cute kitten and I would love to go out with you." Nikki gasped and Cheeto came over to him and nudged him.

"She beat you to the punch, bro," Cheeto laughed. He looked over to Princess, who was frozen in all the muck. Scooter was laughing at her, finally _he_ wasn't the dirty one. The cleanest of them all was now the filthiest. "Well Princess, looks like you'll be taking a royal bath!" Princess yowled and hissed at him, only causing him to react with laughter.

"Let me clean you up!" Sugar said as she ran over to Princess and started licking her fur. Princess groaned and bowed her head.

"Hope you enjoy your royal licking," Sassy stated with a wide smirk. The animals were having far too much fun. They hoped this would never end.

It was an hour before everyone started having to return home, but the memories of their time was there to stay as everybody began leading their life. Isis would grow to become one of the most legendary dogs on the force as Sassy would surpass her father's legacy and become practically a legend herself. Sam's family farm became well known throughout the country as having the greatest adoption service and would have almost a hundred dogs at any given time. Freddie and Sam stayed together, Jonah and Valerie got to raise up a baby girl who loved helping out on Sam's farm for as long as she lived. Carly and Sam had remained good friends and iCarly continued on until they were off to college.

The animals had decided to meet up every other day. Shadow had passed on within four years, but nobody forgot him. The dogs, the cats, and even the humans would always have the greatest time meeting up with one another. Even when Sam and Freddie had children and with the animals aging, they _always_ stayed together, as they were one big family. They were never going to separate. Hell, at one time, they even found Fluffy, and he was living in the lap of luxury. They just couldn't stay away from each other. Carly, Sam, and even Valerie, had eased into the whole idea that Jonah, Freddie, and Shannon had been dogs. It was awkward for them at first, but over time, it became a thing of the past. Madame Fontessa had quit giving away her items, as she thought them to be too dangerous, but she didn't stop helping anyone when they needed help with something. She just went about the help differently. She too, had become part of this intricate family.

"So all of that really happened, Daddy?" A little girl asked as her father sat above her in the bed. Freddie smiled down at the girl and nodded his head.

"Yes Angie, those were what we call now, our Dog Days." Scooter was curled up at the girl's legs. He lifted his head and smiled warily. "Those days are long gone now, and almost all of the animals are gone too…" Scooter looked up at a photo on the wall, it was of Isis, guarding something. The picture was in the room, a sign that she was watching over them and guarding the youngest child. Doing her job.

Freddie was now thirty years old, it had been fourteen years since everything had happened. Isis passed on only three years prior. Nikki was the last cat that still was alive, he and Powder had a litter of kittens that had gone to basically everyone. Sassy retired from the fire department two years ago and passed on only one year ago. She had two pups who were now the fire department's dogs, they were almost as great as their mother was. Sugar was the only other dog still alive, and she still gave everybody a major sweet tooth whenever possible.

"No matter what," Scooter said as he tore his gaze from Isis's picture and rested his chin on Angie's leg. "We're always going to be one big family. One day, when we meet up in the big sky all together, then the Dog Days will be forever. The days of our lives will continue on…"

* * *

There you have it. The final, final chapter. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. I had so much fun writing it again. Thank you for everyone who read this, I'm so happy to have had all of you to enjoy my work. It's a bit saddening, but it's a good sad that I feel. Two years in the making and I can finally say I've completed this. Never again should I create a story that it takes so long to finish. Again, thank you to everybody! DOG DAYS has come to a close.


	28. Author Note: Coming Back

Multiple Author Note Selection

Disclaimer: Don't own iCarly, so don't get any ideas. I'm in the legal stuff too!

A/N:

* * *

Chapter (Author Note)

To my readers, I'm posting this on the ends of some of my best stories to try to bring everyone back who has left me because of the slump that happened regarding my ex and the whole lack of "Sam/Freddie" it caused me, _and_ to, as one of my friends said, "cheat" by using my best stories to get some of the newer readers with me too :P.

I want you to know that I'm not going to let my ex steal even my once favorite pairing of the show. It may be painful, it still is hard to cope with writing Sam/Freddie (for reasons you would probably not understand right now), so I'm taking my best friend's advice and doing "baby steps" first. The first baby step, writing a story with the main couple not Sam/Freddie, but they are a secondary and a strong focal point.

I can try to explain it as this: She used to always say she was exactly like Sam, and while I laughed it off, all the emotional and mental abuse I had been put through caused me to eventually start seeing it. The episode with Sam's mother did it, and I associated them once again as Sam and her mom had almost the exact same relationship, except had the two been locked up in a room they might have kiilled each other. Hm...regardless, those two never let me write, so my writing suffered. My liking of the show suffered. Then finally, my liking of Sam/Freddie suffered. The recent episode seemed to rekindle a bit of it for me.

It was also brought to my attention that I might have also lost some readers because I don't write Sam/Freddie anymore, so that's another reason I'm going to return to my roots. I need to, as said, take small steps first. I can't write a full blown Seddie multichaptered story right now, because when I try to write them, I think of my ex for some reason...or at least myself with her, it causes flashbacks. Eventually, through oneshots and using them as the secondary couple, it will all heal. Bear with me, if you will.

The first story I'm going to do now, that I want you to look at, which will involve Sam/Freddie as a secondary couple (and very important to the story) right after the most recent episode, will be "Deciding Our Fates". The main will, yes, be my ever famous Jonah/Valerie. The story is going to involve details of their struggles, Sam/Freddie's rise in their relationship, drama from Jonah and Valerie both feeling the guilt and ostracization from the other people in the school, as well as Valerie's boyfriend who is an abuser, then we have to deal with her mother newly in a wheelchair, we'll see all the things that caused the two to do what they did and why they regret their individual actions. Sam and Freddie will be there for the entire ride as we see Sam struggling with her father's walking out, and her coming out of her shell while Freddie helps her to do so. It will be a lot of drama, a _very_ good story I hope.

I will post "Deciding Our Fates" soon. Though tell me what sounds better "Deciding" or "Controlling". Or something else? I wanted something that would be a grabber, while at the same time showing the ever winding roads the four must take...got any ideas?

So I'm off to class. Remember what I have said, and look forward to that story. Please, support me through all this if you can ^_^.


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